The socioeconomic component of NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) collects and monitors human use of coral reef resources, knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of coral reefs and coral reef management, and demographics of the populations living in coral reef areas. Monitoring is conducted across seven U.S. coral jurisdictions on a rotating basis.
The NCRMP socioeconomic team has published their most recent report, which presents primary data collected for the second socioeconomic monitoring cycle in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The household survey was conducted in person from February to March 2024. The first monitoring cycle was completed in 2016.
The report outlines current human dimensions information relevant to coral reef resources in CNMI, as well as trends between the first (2016) and second monitoring cycles. The first infographic focuses solely on the 2024 findings, while the second focuses on trends between cycles. Both infographics are also available in the Chamorro language. Survey results are representative of the CNMI resident population as a whole and island strata of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.
Overall, the results indicate that CNMI’s residents are active marine resource users who have integral connections with coral reefs and rely on these ecosystems for a variety of social, economic, and cultural benefits. Results also show that residents are increasingly aware of coral reef issues, such as coral bleaching and ocean acidification, and suggest that residents strongly support management strategies such as active coral reef restoration, efforts to mitigate threats to coral reefs (e.g., restrict sources of pollution), and actions to prevent resource conditions (e.g., ocean water quality) from becoming worse.
The overall goal of this endeavor is to understand the status and trends of each jurisdiction’s population, social and economic structure, interactions with coral reef resources, and responses to local coral reef management. NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) uses this information to help address coral reef issues at local, regional, and national levels, as well as to inform continuing research and communication products.
This work is authorized by the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, a U.S. law that establishes NOAA CRCP to protect and conserve the nation’s coral reef ecosystems, which was reauthorized in December 2022 as part of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act.
|
|
|
