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Hirono, Case Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Coral Reefs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during National Corals Week, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Representative Ed Case (D-HI) introduced the Coral Reef Sustainability Through Innovation Act of 2022, bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help protect coral reef ecosystems in Hawaii and across the nation from increasing threats such as climate change, pollution, and direct damage from humans. The legislation directs the federal agencies that are members of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to establish, individually or with one or more other agencies, a coral health prize competition in order to spur innovative solutions to preserve, sustain, and restore coral reef ecosystems at no additional cost to taxpayers. The text of the bill is also included in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) released earlier today.

“Coral reefs are vital to Hawaii’s environment, providing a rich habitat for marine life while helping to protect our coastlines and prevent flooding,” said Senator Hirono. “Decades of pollution and ocean warming caused by climate change have left corals in Hawaii and around the world at risk of extinction. As we work to protect and restore coral reef ecosystems, this legislation will help incentivize innovation and inspire creative solutions to protect coral reefs, at no cost to taxpayers. I’ll continue fighting to protect Hawaii’s coral reefs and all of our natural resources for generations to come.”

“Healthy coral reef ecosystems provide the greatest biological diversity of all ecosystem types in the world,” said Congressman Case. “However, warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures are threatening their health and causing mass bleaching events, which cause corals to be more susceptible to disease and increase their chances of dying. Prize competitions that encourage public-private partnerships have an established record of jump-starting innovation to address our most complicated challenges. This measure will follow that model in determining the best solutions to the threats to our coral reef ecosystems and integrating them into our federal ocean management policy. ”

Coral reefs play an important role in Hawaii’s maritime ecosystems, serving as a source of food, a place for recreation and tourism, and a source for coastal protection. A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study published in 2019 estimated the flood protection value of coral reefs in Hawaii alone at $836 million annually. Additionally, a study published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2011 estimated the total economic value of Hawaii coral reefs to the American people to be $33.57 billion.

However, pollution, overfishing, and rising ocean temperatures are threatening the health of coral reefs in Hawaii and around the world, as evidenced by an increase in the frequency and duration of global mass bleaching events in recent decades.

Specifically, the Coral Reef Sustainability Through Innovation Act would amend the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 to include prize competitions. The legislation would allow any agency on the US Coral Reef Task Force to:

  • Award competitive prizes to advance the ability to preserve, sustain, and restore coral reef ecosystems;
  • use already appropriated money to fund prize purses; and
  • work with private non-profits to contribute to prize purses and administer competitions.

In addition to Sen. Hirono and Rep. Case, the bill is cosponsored by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Debbie Wasserman Shultz (D-FL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Jennifer Gonzalez Colon (R-PR).

The full text of the bill is available here and a one-pager is available here.

Senator Hirono has consistently advocated for protecting Hawaii’s environment and its rich biodiversity. Last month, she urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to create a regional Climate Hub in Hawaii in order to help address the state’s unique climate challenges. In September, Senator Hirono introduced legislation to provide $55 million in federal funding to help combat Rapid Ohia Death (ROD) in Hawaii. In August, she helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes the largest investment in climate action in our nation’s history.

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