Building Coral Resilience and Facilitating Post-Bleaching Recovery

The National Park Service intends to award a cooperative agreement to the University of Guam for a project titled "Building Coral Resilience and Facilitating Post-Bleaching Recovery". The project aims to conserve and manage species at risk of local extirpation due to climate change-related stress and restore habitat and topographic complexity in areas where this ecological function has been greatly reduced due to coral mortality. The project will support a three-year full-time position for a coral culture and restoration technician. The technician will assist in snorkel resurveys, locating and surveying potential target sites, constructing additional nursery structures, and participating in monitoring staghorn spawning. Some key aspects of the project include: • Restoring coral reefs in War in the Pacific National Historical Park • Conducting regular media and outreach updates on reef health status • Working with partners to increase public awareness and encourage a stronger sense of stewardship and investment in caring for Guam's reefs • Supporting a coral culture and restoration technician for three years • Collaborating with scientists in heat stress assays and population genetics studies • Participating in upscaled outplanting activities and subsequent monitoring