statistically analyzed. Beginning in FY93, NOAA plans to initiate a competitive National Marine Sanctuary Research Program in its Sanctuaries. While this is an important step, the level of funding for this research program will preclude it from supporting a comprehensive research and monitoring effort

in Florida, or other sanctuaries with coral reefs (i.e.,

off the

Fagatele Bay American Samoa and Flower Garden Banks Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico). NOAA will coordinate its coral reef research program not only among the Florida Keys, Fagatele Bay and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuaries, but also with the international scientific community of coral reef researchers and organizations. This coordination is especially important in order to effectively deal with sources of pollution, or other perturbations, originating from outside of U.S. waters.

NOAA considers it extremely important to understand how alterations in temperature, sea level, nutrients, and sedimentation, among other factors, affect the functional ecology of coral reefs.

Useful research projects could encompass:

experiments to determine the response of model
system species to the effects of radiation and
temperature;

the establishment of a world-wide, long-term
monitoring system of physical and biological
parameters on coral reefs; and

the development of microcosm facilities for
bridging the laboratory to field spectrum.

While NOAA has supported research efforts, specifically in the Florida Keys, the challenge will be to develop additional partnerships throughout the region and world that address the status of coral reef ecosystems and impacts. To further such efforts, the U.S. recently (June 1991) concluded the successful negotiation of the Protocol for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (under the Cartagena Convention) which among other things, protects threatened and endangered species in the wider Caribbean region and provides for a regional system of marine protected areas. It was agreed by all parties that corals should be afforded significant protections not because they in themselves are endangered as a species, but because they represent sensitive and vulnerable ecosystems. Because coral reefs as a whole are subject to anthropogenic changes as well as large scale natural disturbances, appropriate protection should be provided for the systems as a whole rather than individual specimens.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes my testimony. I would be glad to answer any questions.

am providing comments on H.R. 4483 (To protect and promote
stewardship of coral reef ecosystem) and H.R 4537 (Entitled the
"Coral reef environmental research act"). I enjoyed snorkeling
retain favorable images of what you

with you and hope that you

saw and heard.

The reefs in Florida

are a remarkable natural wonder.

However, we must learn more about the causes of coral disease,
coral bleaching and nutrient problems or there may be little to
see in the coming decades. Efforts represented by H.R. 4483,
H.R. 4537 and the recent designation of the Florida reef tract as
National Marine Sanctuary are important first steps in what
must be a sustained long-term effort to understand and

a

this national resource.

protect

agency

My primary concern both these bills is that broad identifications are made in regard to assigning money and tasks. NOAA and EPA are vast organizations that can easily swallow the relatively small appropriations recommended by the bills. There is great danger that few dollars will ever find their way to researchers that actually study reefs. Rather, the dollars may end up supporting or creating administration that does not increase our understanding of how coral reefs function; new infrastructure will siphon additional administration dollars from direct science support. I suggest that H.R. 4483 and H.R. 4537 specifically mention NOAA programs that already promote, coordinate, facilitate and conduct coral reef research programs. I also believe that it is critically important that research dollars be made available to scientists on a competitive basis. Only with an open competitive peer-review can you hope to support the best and most relevant science program.

Within NOAA there are two agencies already working on the reefs that are well suited to direct and define how additional research dollars are spent, The National Undersea Research Program (NURP) and the Marine Sanctuary Program. (I suggest that you contact Dr. Debbie Santavy at the EPA Gulf Breeze Laboratory, 904-934-9358, for specifics about directing dollars through EPA.) Two NURP Center's conduct active coral reef research programs, the Florida Program out of the Center at the University of North Carolina supports research in the Keys, and the Caribbean Marine Research Center (CMRC), with an administrative office in Covington, Virginia, supports coral reef research in the Bahamas and Caribbean. North Carolina's Florida Program and the Marine Sanctuary Program in Florida already work together on several levels to meet the research needs of scientists, planners and managers. Also, NOAA's Global Ocean Program includes a Marine Ecosystem Response section that solicits proposals for coral reef biology. These programs have the administration and operational capability to get dollars competitively into the hands of the best scientists to help meet the objectives of H.R. 4483.

Thank you for taking the time to look and listen while you were in Key Largo. Please let me know if I can provide additional information or comment.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Miller

Steven L. Miller, Ph.D.
Florida Program Manager

CC:

Dr. Rosemarie S. Gnam

Subcommittee on the Environment

Mr. SCHEUER. Thank you very much, Mr. Hudson. Now we will hear from Mr. R. Tucker Scully, Director of the Office of Oceans, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C.

Mr. SCULLY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

As you noted, I am Director of the Office of Oceans Affairs at the State Department which brings my office into contact with a number of activities relating to the international cooperative aspects of dealing with issues such as coral reefs.

My testimony addresses a number of these areas and I won't try to repeat that but I would like to summarize certain points from it and then add a couple of points that are not included, most particularly those relating to the most recent international discussions that include this issue which are those going on before the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development. The last preparatory session for which concluded in New York recently.

Mr. SCHEUER. Could you speak into the mike, we are not getting you.

Mr. SCULLY. I will add a point about the UNCED conference, U.N. Conference on Environment and Development in Rio. The preparations for that conference also significantly address issues that are covered under this.

Mr. SCHEUER. There will be a significant congressional delegation down there, including myself, as you know, and others.

Mr. SCULLY. Good. I think if one looks-and my testimony attempts to deal with the international instruments that exist that bear upon the question in this important question of coral reef ecosystems, both from the point of view of the measures that provide a framework for measures to deal with the protection of those ecosystems but also for providing frameworks to deal with international collaboration in the necessary research to understand the actions to support remediation.

Under international practice and law, I think there are several streams of development that relate to this particular subject. The efforts to deal with endangered species, which begin perhaps with the internationally CITES convention, the Convention on International Trade in the Endangered Species. Efforts to deal with endangered species in which a number of corals have been listed as threatened is one such track that has been followed.

Secondly, international efforts to deal with marine pollution from vessels is the second track and we have heard just now that there has been a grounding on the reef, interference by vessels, vessel activity can have significant impact on coral reefs.

Thirdly and fourthly, there are efforts to deal with habitat protection in protected areas. Again, Dr. Hudson mentioned the recently concluded protocol to the Cartagena Convention that I will turn to later.

So a third area of international cooperation and development of international practice and law has related to the questions of protected areas and protection of critical habitats. Finally, perhaps the least developed area internationally is that which relates to the land-based sources of marine pollution, agricultural runoff, activity in coastal areas that again as we hear directly impact the reef, the health and well-being of off-shore systems and particularly systems such as coral reef ecosystems.