Boating and Anchoring
Addressing impacts from coastal uses, including preventing vessel groundings, is another key goal of the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs. Many of the coral reef parks have adopted special regulations in regards to boat anchoring around coral reefs to protect reef corals and other benthic organisms. Boat groundings and improper boat anchoring have caused major resource impacts at many of the NPS coral reef parks. Large commercial vessel groundings at Dry Tortugas and Biscayne National Parks have caused massive coral destruction, impacts and alterations to the reef structure that will require hundreds of years for reefs to fully and completely recover. Parks also experience recreational boat groundings and propeller scarring with resulting coral and seagrass damage, along with improper boat anchoring and impacts on corals. Marking designated anchorage, improving navigational aids, requiring the use of mooring buoys and public education are all methods parks are using to deal with this issue. Biscayne and Virgin Islands National Parks all have designated anchorage areas for certain types of boats and/or mooring buoy requirements in one or more of the popular reef areas. When implemented, the Research Natural Area at Dry Tortugas will prohibit anchoring and require private and commercial tour boats to use mooring buoys. Buck Island Reef National Monument and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument prohibit anchoring except by permit.

Good Water Quality: Critical Requirement for Corals
Healthy coral reefs require clean, clear water to survive. Reducing pollution from sediments, nutrients, oil and chemicals, marine debris and invasive alien species is a leading objective under the National Action Plan to Conserve Coral Reefs. These same ubiquitous threats are impacting water quality in the Parks. Pollution both from activities within and outside the parks, is a major management concern at eight of coral reef parks. Sources located within Park boundaries include high levels of boating and recreational activity and/or impacts from private and park septic systems, and even Park visitor facilities. External water quality concerns are closely linked with local urban development, local sewage discharge, commercial shipping traffic and potential oil spills. Six of the NPS coral reef parks have indicated they are under a high potential for oil spill pollution due to the proximity of shipping lanes.

Urbanization Affects Florida and Caribbean Reefs
For example, Biscayne National Park, the National Park Service's largest coral reef marine park, lies immediately adjacent to the metropolitan Dade County area, which has a population of over 2 million people. Upland marsh areas adjacent to the park have been extensively drained and all natural overland flow of water is now controlled and delivered to the coast through an extensive canal network system. Flood control gates at the mouth of each of these canals regulate the flow of water into the park. Major efforts affecting redistribution and restoration of fresh water flow are underway within South Florida to address the issue of water control and delivery to both Biscayne and Everglades National Parks. Within the Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands National Park, Buck Island Reef National Monument and Salt River Bay National Historical Park are all being subjected to the influence of heavy coastal development and increased sedimentation from upland erosion associated with this development.

Land Use Impacts on Pacific Reefs
In Hawaii, major land use changes have occurred over the past two decades near the two NPS parks with coral reef marine resources, Kaloko-Honokohau and Kalaupapa National Historic Parks. Kaloko-Honokohau is located on the North Kona coast of the island of Hawaii near the town of Kailua and only three miles south of the Keahole Airport. An industrial park is located immediately adjacent to the park and much of the land around the park is now classified for urban development. Although Kalaupapa, on the island of Molokai is considerably more remote, its waters are threatened by nutrient and bacterial pollution from inadequate sewage treatment, as well as freshwater inflow diversions in the Waikolu valley and reservoir retention of water on the Molokai highlands for agricultural purposes. At both American Samoa and War-in-the-Pacific National Park Service areas, recent increases in tourism, coastal development, and increased sedimentation associated with land use changes are identified concerns.

Summary of Major Management Issues Facing National Park Service Areas with Coral Reef Resources