San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2026

The 51st U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) Meeting, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from April 28 to May 5, 2026, brought together representatives from federal, state, territorial, Freely Associated States, and Fishery Management Council member organizations to address critical threats facing coral ecosystems.

Anchored by the theme “Restoring Reefs, Sustaining Resources: Protecting U.S. Ocean Wealth,” the week-long event paired a wide range of meetings, exchanges, and workshops with site visits. USCRTF Working Groups, including the Restoration, Watershed, Fisheries Management, Communications, Coral Disease and Disturbance Response, and Enforcement Working Groups, met in person to share project outcomes related to coral-reef-related issues.

A central cornerstone of the meeting’s agenda was the integration of the Caribbean-Pacific Restoration Learning Exchange and Workshop, which facilitated a vital cross-regional dialogue on scalable conservation strategies. This collaborative workshop allowed resource managers and scientists from both ocean basins to share lessons learned and compare regional restoration techniques.

Alongside these technical sessions, participants engaged in targeted site visits across Puerto Rico—including assessments of community-led coral propagation at ISER Caribe in Ceiba and ridge-to-reef pollution management reviews at the Guánica Watershed—bridging the workshop’s theoretical exchanges with practical, on-the-ground conservation needs.

Notable highlights from the public Business Meeting included a ‘Bright Spots’ presentation from the U.S. All Islands Committee, an overview on the Status of the Reefs of Puerto Rico, panels on watershed and coral reef restoration, and the adoption of the Guidance for Monitoring the Impacts of Heat Stress and Coral Bleaching Events: Standard Operating Procedures from the USCRTF.