The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force’s 51st meeting is currently underway in San Juan, Puerto Rico from April 28 to May 5, 2026.
Guided by the theme of “Restoring Reefs, Sustaining Resources: Protecting U.S. Ocean Wealth,” the Task Force will engage in meaningful and impactful conversations to help foster collaborations and dialogues among its members for U.S. coral reefs conservation and restoration initiatives.
To view the agenda, click HERE.
At this meeting in particular, the Task Force will showcase work being done in Puerto Rico for the protection and enhancement of the commonwealth’s valuable coral reefs ecosystems and watersheds.
The United States Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) was established in 1998 by Presidential Executive Order to lead U.S. efforts to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems. The USCRTF includes leaders of 12 federal agencies, seven U.S. states, territories, commonwealths, and the three Freely Associated States, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Micronesia. The USCRTF helps build partnerships, strategies, and support for on-the-ground action to conserve coral reefs.
The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) holds biannual meetings in Washington, D.C. in the spring and, on a rotational basis, in each of the USCRTF member jurisdictions in early fall. These meetings provide a venue to report on the status of ongoing coral reef initiatives in local areas, an opportunity to discuss resolutions and the status of past resolutions, and allow for public participation regarding coral reefs and their conservation.
The Task Force was established in 1998 by Presidential Executive Order 13089 and codified in 2022 as part of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act. The Task Force has been instrumental in building partnerships and strategies for on-the-ground action to conserve coral reefs. The Task Force works in cooperation with state, territorial, and local government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, and commercial interests to further the understanding and conservation of coral reef ecosystems.
Mangrove, Seagrass, and Coral Restoration in Puerto Rico’s Vieques Bioluminescent Bay Natural Reserve
In 2017, Hurricane Maria—the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Puerto Rico in almost 90 years—wreaked havoc on the bay, delivering devastating economic, social, and ecological impacts. To local natural resource managers, who lacked the capacity and funds to tackle restoration of Puerto Rico’s Puerto Mosquito bioluminescent bay–also known as the Vieques Bioluminescent Bay–restoring hurricane-damaged mangroves, seagrasses and corals seemed a daunting task.
Now, Vieques—the brightest bioluminescent bay on earth—is being restored to its original pristine condition thanks to an almost $3 million grant from NOAA.
Located on the tiny island of Vieques, the Guinness World Record-holding natural wonder, is home to millions of tiny light-producing plankton called dinoflagellates (Pyrodinium bahamense) that, together with a unique tapestry of ecosystems, create a spectacle of light.
Click HERE to read how NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management restored this critically important habitat.
The ongoing project now serves as a laboratory for researchers from around the world, a source of economic growth and pride for the local conservationists and community members, and an example of how science and restoration, coupled with determination and some out-of-the-box thinking, can have a positive impact on all aspects of a community and the world beyond it. For generations to come, everyone from local kayak operators to tourists from the other side of the world can enjoy this natural phenomenon, which even scientists describe as magical.
This project was funded through NOAA’s National Coastal Zone Management Program Habitat Protection and Restoration awards.
Watch a film about the Vieques restoration here:
