U.S. All Islands Coral Reef Committee

Elkhorn coral in the Florida Keys. Credit: NOAA — Elkhorn coral in the Florida Keys. Photo courtesy of NOAA.

Hafa Adai, Talofa, Aloha, Hola, and Hello!

Coral reefs, known as the rainforests of the sea, are the earth’s most biologically diverse marine ecosystems. These unique and highly complex tropical habitats cover almost 5,000 square kilometers of waters governed by U.S. states and territories, and provide billions of dollars of value from ecosystem services to communities throughout these jurisdictions.

The U.S. All Islands Coral Reef Committee (AIC) has been an integral part of coral reef management and conservation in the United States for over 25 years. Established in 1996, the AIC represents the combined voices of the seven U.S. coral reef jurisdictions (American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawai’i, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the three Pacific Freely Associated States (Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau).

For coral-related news and information, check out The All Islands Coral Reef Blog at http://allislandscommittee.wordpress.com/.

Header photos courtesy of D. Burdick (Guam), Dr. Hector Ruiz (Puerto Rico), F. Castro (CNMI), B. Bishchof (Florida), C. Rogers (USGS; USVI), NOAA PIFSC CRED (American Samoa), and C. Fackler (NOAA ONMS; Hawaii).