NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

Florida’s Coral Reef stretches almost 350 miles from the Dry Tortugas to the St. Lucie Inlet. It’s the only coral reef system in the continental United States and is home to over 40 species of reef-building corals that provide shelter, food and breeding sites for millions of plants and animals.
Learn more: https://floridascoralreef.org/
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
📷: Shaun Wolfe, National Park Service

It’s the first day of and to kick it off, it’s also World Reef Awareness Day. So, let’s celebrate coral reefs!
coralreef.noaa.gov

With the weekend here, it’s time to party like a lob, party like a lobster! 🦞💃

Did you know these Caribbean spiny lobsters have a unique “party outfit”? Unlike their American lobster cousins, they don’t have large claws. Instead, they rely on their spiny armor and horn-like antennae to deter predators… hence their name!

Get to know more about this species: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/caribbean-spiny-lobster

Coral reefs protect lives and shorelines by significantly dissipating wave energy generated by storms, while buffering shorelines. With hurricane season fast-approaching in the Central Pacific and Atlantic–and already underway in the Eastern Pacific–it’s a timely reminder that if we take care of corals, they’ll take care of us! 🪸

https://coralreef.noaa.gov/digital-corals/stories/may20/hurricanes-corals

🪸✨ ¡Ya está aquí la agenda oficial de la Semana de los Arrecifes de Coral 2026! ✨🪸

Del 30 de mayo al 6 de junio de 2026, Puerto Rico celebrará la vida que nace, crece y conecta nuestros arrecifes con todo el archipiélago. 🌊🇵🇷

Este año contaremos con más de 40 actividades alrededor de Puerto Rico, incluyendo charlas, excursiones, talleres, limpiezas costeras, actividades educativas, arte, ciencia ciudadana y mucho más para toda la familia.

🌿 La semana comienza con nuestra actividad de apertura en el Fideicomiso de Conservación e Historia de Vieques y culmina con un gran Día Familiar y Cierre en el Parque de las Ciencias.

🐠 Explora la agenda, regístrate y sé parte de esta celebración dedicada a nuestros arrecifes y ecosistemas marinos.

📄 Aquí puedes acceder a la agenda completa y encontrar información de registro para las actividades: bit.ly/3PToPRa

📩 Para más detalles sobre alguna actividad en particular, favor contactar directamente a los organizadores del evento.

¡Nos vemos bajo el mar! 💙

Explore the latest reef monitoring data! 🪸🐟
2025 benthic and fish survey data for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are available in the NCRMP Data Visualization Tool: https://ncrmp.coralreef.noaa.gov/

Fagatele Bay in the NOAA National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa has shown remarkable resilience despite numerous environmental disturbances over the past four decades. Learn more about what surveys performed since 1985 have shown, and why this unique resilience offers hope amid global coral reef declines.

https://coralreef.noaa.gov/digital-corals/stories/jul24/fagatele-bay

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

It’s National Sunscreen Day! Visiting a coral reef does not mean you have to sacrifice sun safety 🌞

Find sunscreens that avoid chemicals potentially harmful to marine life, and check out these other ways to protect yourself from too much UV radiation.

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html