Grants will support coral reef restoration and innovation for improved reef management
Fourspot butterflyfish, Hawaii.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As coral reefs face mounting pressure from marine heatwaves, pollution and other threats, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $2.1 million in grants to support efforts to improve the health and resilience of coral reefs in Florida, Hawai‘i, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The projects funded by these grants will test innovative new approaches to growing heat-resilient corals, reducing sediment pollution and restoring critical reef habitat.
The grants will leverage $1.2 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $3.3 million. The grants were awarded through the Coral Reef Stewardship Fund, a partnership between NFWF and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Aramco. This year’s awards mark six years of support from energy company Aramco, whose investment has helped advance innovative approaches to coral reef conservation and restoration.
“The challenges facing coral reefs are too complex for any one organization to solve alone,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director of NFWF. “This partnership that brings together public agencies, private partners, scientists and local practitioners, accelerates innovation and provides urgent resources for building durable conservation capacity needed to protect and restore these vital ecosystems that sustain local economies and provide habitat for countless species while ensuring reef managers have practical tools to help preserve our country’s coral reefs for generations to come.”
Through its support of the Coral Reef Stewardship Fund, Aramco helps advance collaborative efforts to protect and restore coral reef ecosystems by supporting science-based conservation, restoration, and community stewardship initiatives.
The nine grants announced today will help communities and reef managers tackle some of the greatest challenges facing coral reefs. Projects will reduce pollution and other threats at priority reef sites, prepare for and respond to emergencies, restore damaged reefs, strengthen fish populations and equip local practitioners with the skills and tools needed for long-term conservation.
- In Florida, researchers will test a suite of emerging restoration techniques designed to help corals survive marine heatwaves and other environmental stressors. New projects led by the University of Miami and Georgia Tech will explore hydrogel technologies that improve coral larvae survival, develop beneficial algae cultures that support coral growth, and test microbial interventions that could increase coral tolerance to marine heatwaves. Together, the projects aim to help restoration practitioners scale up recovery efforts for Florida’s Coral Reef.
- In Hawai‘i, grants will address one of the greatest threats to reefs: sediment and pollution flowing from the land. Projects on Maui and Moloka‘i will reduce erosion, improve water quality, restore native vegetation and traditional fishponds, and provide managers with new tools to identify and address sediment runoff before it reaches sensitive reef ecosystems.
- This year’s grants will also strengthen local capacity for coral reef stewardship and management in communities that depend on healthy reefs. In American Samoa, funding will support the establishment of a new local nonprofit organization dedicated to coral reef and fisheries conservation, helping build technical expertise, partnerships and public engagement around reef protection. A Coral Restoration Foundation project will develop genetic management plans for priority coral species and train restoration practitioners and resource managers in Florida, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands to apply them.
Together, these projects will equip local conservation leaders with the tools, knowledge and organizational capacity needed to sustain healthy reef ecosystems.
“The new Coral Reef Stewardship Fund awards continue a successful track record of 25 years of coral conservation work in U.S. coral reef jurisdictions,” said Jennifer Koss, director of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. “This incredible work supports the new National Coral Reef Resilience Strategy, which will drive coral conservation in the United States for decades to come.”
Since 2000, the Coral Reef Stewardship Fund (formerly titled the Coral Reef Conservation Fund) has awarded more than $28 million to 446 coral conservation projects. These projects have leveraged more than $36 million in matching funds for a total conservation impact of $64 million.
A complete list of the 2026 grants made through the Coral Reef Stewardship Fund is available here.
About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with partners to foster sustainable and impactful conservation solutions so that people and nature thrive together. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation’s conservation foundation. NFWF works with the public and private sectors to sustain, restore and enhance the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations. Since its founding, NFWF has supported more than 7,200 grantee organizations and funded more than 23,900 projects that have generated a total conservation impact of more than $12 billion. Learn more at nfwf.org.
About the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources. See how NOAA science, services, and stewardship benefit your community: Visit noaa.gov for our latest news and features and join us on social media.
About Aramco Americas
Aramco Americas Company (“Aramco Americas”) is a U.S.-based indirect subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, a world leader in integrated energy and chemicals, and has been part of the U.S. energy industry for more than 90 years. Based in Houston with offices in Boston, Detroit, and Washington D.C. Aramco Americas drives excellence and innovation through research and development, strategic procurement, venture funding, and collaborative industry partnerships focused on safety, security, and digital transformation. Aramco Americas is dedicated to corporate citizenship, investing in initiatives that make a positive difference in local communities. Learn more at americas.aramco.com.
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- Fourspot butterflyfish, Hawaii.
CONTACT: Matt Winter National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 202-857-0166 [email protected]
