Framework for Addressing Water Quality Issues for Corals in the Jurisdictions
As a participating member of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, the EPA provides scientific support and engages in cross-agency partnerships with jurisdictions (i.e., states, territories and freely associated states) that manage U.S. coral reefs. Jurisdictions have requested EPA expertise and assistance with: identifying key water quality (WQ) parameters that negatively impact corals; determining thresholds for associated metrics; and, where appropriate, developing WQ standards that protect coral reef health. In response to these requests, the EPA launched a project to create a structured process for collaborating with jurisdictions to evaluate their existing or needed WQ criteria, determine the most impactful management pathways to achieve their WQ goals, and draw key insights to inform mitigation and infrastructure conversations. This presentation shares the results of a training flow that has been developed based on the EPA Organon, a collaborative framework for resilience planning that guides a holistic process of goal setting, planning science, and implementation science for voluntary and regulatory management pathways. This training is adaptable for use by other organizations working on managing water quality for healthy coral reefs.