Today we released our 2022 Annual Report and we are reflecting on a year of growth, resilience, and impact. We’ve grown our teams, programs, and scientific research to expand our reach. Our efforts are improving the resilience of communities and coral reefs. And we have the data to prove it.
The focus for the year was achieving measurable outcomes to save coral reefs and to drive conservation programs and science to the next level. Here, we’ll explore some of the key highlights from the report.
Annual Report Highlights
We worked with local communities and governments to enhance protection of marine protected areas and to promote sustainable fishing practices. Through this work we protected over 8,000 square kilometers of coral reef habitat, which is a major win for the health of these vital ecosystems. To complement this, CORAL supported 19 local community organizations, giving them resources to manage and protect their coral reefs. In addition, we kept over 29 million gallons of sewage out of coastal waters.
In 2022 we grew our climate adaptation partnerships and technology alongside an alliance of scientists to safeguard coral reefs so they can adapt to climate change. We collected over 2 million temperature data points in the Western Caribbean to understand how reef geomorphology links to thermal and genetic diversity. This data will one day be used to improve satellite technologies. These technologies have the potential to identify a reef’s ability to adapt to warming ocean temperatures. Visit our Annual Report to learn more!
A Word From Our Executive Director
“As I reflect on the first six months as the executive director of the Coral Reef Alliance, I am overwhelmed with gratitude, awe, motivation and HOPE. From Honduras to Hawaii, I have been on the ground – and in the water – with my CORAL team members. Together, we have collaborated to hone our strategic plans for CORAL programs for the upcoming years, met with community partners to maintain face-to-face connections, and shown donors the tangible products of their generosity.
I want to thank you – the people that make our conservation efforts possible. You enable our researchers to survey thousands of coral colonies, collecting data on habitat diversity and bleaching probability. You ensure patrol boats to keep fishers abiding by regulations of marine protected areas. You removed tons upon tons of run-off sediment and gallons upon gallons of sewage from coastal ecosystems. With every tree planted, water sample collected, scientific paper published, ton of run-off sediment rerouted, you enable our impact to grow. You make CORAL possible.
Please enjoy our 2022 Annual Report and stay connected to our alliance.”