Florida Reef Resilience Program

Diving the Florida Keys reefs. © Bill Keogh

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The Florida Reef Resilience Program brings scientists, reef managers and the people whose livelihoods and recreational pursuits depend upon healthy coral reefs together to achieve a common goal. The program is designed to improve our collective understanding of coral reef resilience by exploring the biological and environmental aspects of reef health and by asking a fundamental question of society, “What is it that people want and need from coral reefs?” Ultimately the Florida Reef Resilience Program seeks to develop strategies to improve the health of Florida's reefs and enhance the sustainability of reef-dependent commercial enterprises and recreational activities.

Download a brochure about the Florida Reef Resilience Program (.pdf, 1.9 MB)

RECENT EVENTS
REEF RESILIENCE CONFERENCE 2008
Coping with Climate Change
April 22-24, 2008

In April of 2008, the Florida Reef Resilience Program sponsored a meeting in Key Largo to report on progress and develop strategies to achieve the FRRP vision:

 Marine resource managers and users have new tools that enhance their ability to identify and map the health and status of coral reefs, understand the underlying factors that lead to and maintain resilience, and recognize the economic values associated with reefs.  Empowered with this knowledge, managers and users jointly develop, implement, and support management strategies that improve ecological conditions and economic sustainability. 

The first day of the conference focused on discussion of coral reef resilience principles and research that FRRP partners have completed to help answer some of the critical questions about resilience.  Presentations and other relevant materials regarding these projects can be accessed here.

As a transition to discussions about what we can do, Paul Marshall, Director of Climate Change for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, took us “From Vulnerability Assessment to Action Plan to Management for Resilience at the Great Barrier Reef.”

The morning of day two of the conference focused on tools and information available for managing coral reefs for resilience.  These presentations can be found here.

On the final afternoon of the conference, coral reef managers from 12 marine managed areas in South Florida and around the Caribbean Sea discussed some of the challenges of coral reef management.

The final session of the conference involved participants working in small groups to develop ideas that coral reef managers and users could employ to protect the region’s reefs from the threats of climate change. Each of six groups discussed a set of strategies and ranked those they considered most useful. A summary of those discussions is included as is the total list and rankings of all the strategies.  We hope this list of strategies, developed by reef managers, anglers, conservationists, dive operators, students and public officials will broaden the discussion about how to protect our reefs.

 The Nature Conservancy is grateful to Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises Ocean Fund and the Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation for providing financial support for hosting the conference and making it accessible to local reef users and international participants.  World Wildlife Fund is grateful to the Batchelor Foundation for providing financial support for hosting the conference and making it accessible to local reef users.

International Year Of the Reef 2008

FRRP - A Public & Private Partnership

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