§ 6412 — Coral Reef Prize Competitions

(a) Subject to the availability of appropriations, the head of any Federal agency with a representative serving on the United States Coral Reef Task Force established by section 6451 of this title, may, individually or in cooperation with one or more agencies, carry out a program to award prizes competitively under section 3719 of title 15. (b) Any program carried out under this section shall be for the purpose of stimulating innovation to advance the ability of the United States to understand, research, or monitor coral reef ecosystems, or to develop management or adaptation options to preserve, sustain, and restore coral reef ecosystems. (c) Priority shall be given to establishing programs under this section that address communities, environments, or industries that are in distress as a result of the decline or degradation of coral reef ecosystems, including— (1) scientific research and monitoring that furthers the understanding of causes behind coral reef decline and degradation and the generally slow recovery following disturbances, including changing ocean chemistry, temperature-related bleaching, disease, and their associated impacts on coral physiology; (2) the development of monitoring or management options for communities or industries that are experiencing significant financial hardship; (3) the development of adaptation options to alleviate economic harm and job loss caused by damage to coral reef ecosystems; (4) the development of measures to help vulnerable communities or industries, with an emphasis on rural communities and businesses; and (5) the development of adaptation and management options for impacted tourism industries.