Fagaloa Bay, American Samoa. Credit: NOAA.

Scientists from NCCOS and NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) have released new infographics that highlight key findings from social surveys conducted in American Samoa and Florida during the 2013 -14 monitoring year. The results of these ongoing surveys of residents in coral reef jurisdictions will be used by the CRCP to improve coral reef management and conservation. Surveys have been conducted in American Samoa, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii, and surveys are in progress for Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The infographics for American Samoa and Florida present data about coastal communities' uses, perceptions, and beliefs about nearby coral reefs, and provide baseline data that will be useful in evaluating progress and changes within these communities and ecosystems over time. The partnership efforts summarized by these infographics provide local resource managers and communities with the information needed to make management decisions that support both the resources and the people who depend on them.

A diver explores coral in the Florida Keys. Credit: NOAA.

To learn more about the CRCP's monitoring efforts, visit the CRCP National Coral Reef Monitoring Program website.

To learn more about how NCCOS is supporting theNational Coral Reef Monitoring Program, visit NCCOS's related project page online.

For more information, contact Maria.Dillard@noaa.gov.