U.S. Coral Reef Task Force

Group shot from the 50th US Coral Reef Task Force meeting with a slide project behind them that reads The Coral Reef Economy

50th Meeting

Washington, D.C., May 2025

NOAA and Department of the Interior co-chaired the 50th meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF), the organization that leads U.S. efforts to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems throughout the nation. The public business meeting was held at the Department of the Interior’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In May 2025, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force held its milestone 50th meeting at the U.S. Department of the Interior Building in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force was initially established in 1998 by a Presidential Executive Order (E.O. #13089) and codified into law in 2022, with the purpose of preserving and protecting the nation’s valuable coral reef ecosystems. The USCRTF meets in person twice a year– once in Washington, D.C. in the spring and again in one of the seven U.S. coral reef jurisdictions in the fall. These in-person meetings provide a critical forum for collaboration on important coral reef-related issues and bring together representatives from fourteen federal agencies, U.S. states and coral reef jurisdictions, four Fishery Management Councils, and the three Freely Associated States. 

USCRTF Working Groups, including the Restoration, Watershed, Communications, and Enforcement Working Groups, met in person to discuss and share project outcomes relating to critical issues surrounding U.S. coral reefs. For the first time ever, an Environmental Compliance Workshop was hosted to help states and jurisdictions navigate their project proposals and environmental compliance processes. 

The week culminated in an eventful public Business Meeting on Thursday, May 15th. Notable highlights from the Business Meeting included a ‘Bright Spots’ presentation from select members of the All Islands Committee, a diverse and educational panel titled Coral Reefs: Protecting Communities, Infrastructure, and Economies, an update from a few of the National Coral Reef Management Fellows, and a panel on The Importance of Coral Reefs and Marine Biosecurity to National Security. Additional expert presentations covered topics like Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and the Economy as well as a bleaching update from NOAA Coral Reef Watch.