Keisha Trent Grantor

FY26 Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grants - Fishery Management

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program provides financial assistance through the Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grants…

About this opportunity

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program provides financial assistance through the Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grants - Fishery Management competition for projects to sustainably manage coral reef fisheries, as authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. § 6410.

Projects funded through this competition are for activities that: 1) Develop or update sustainable coral reef fisheries management plans; 2) Address science/information gaps that help advance sustainable management of coral reef fisheries stocks; 3) Advance ecosystem-based fisheries management by modernizing analysis of existing data and application of fisheries management tools.

Proposals selected for funding through this solicitation will be implemented through one- to three-year grants or cooperative agreements. Approximately $1,000,000 is expected to be available for this competition. The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program anticipates that awards will range from $50,000-$200,000. NOAA will not accept proposals requesting less than $50,000.

Funds will be administered by the Office of Habitat Conservation in conjunction with the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. Funding may be divided among the U.S. Pacific and Atlantic regions to maintain the geographic balance of the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program grant portfolio, as required by the Coral Reef Conservation Act.

Please see the National Marine Fisheries Service website on the Grant Application Process. You will need to pay close attention to the submission checks section and the common error section. There are common errors that prevent successful application submission and receipt in eRA Commons.

Grants.gov may allow you to apply, but eRA Commons will not accept the application if it includes these errors, and therefore NOAA will not receive it. When you apply to this competition, you will receive notification of submission validation from Grants.gov and eRA Commons. Only validated applications are sent to NOAA to review.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants are regional fishery management councils established under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), nongovernmental organizations or research institutions that have demonstrated expertise in coral reef conservation or restoration and/or scientific research; designated coral reef research centers, U.S. states, territories, or local…

How to apply

Applications for federal grants are submitted through grants.gov under opportunity number NOAA-NMFS-OHC-2026-33125. Before you start, confirm your organization's eligibility, register in SAM.gov if you haven't already, and note the response deadline of Jul 23, 2026. AutoGrantHunter helps you decide whether this opportunity is worth pursuing before you invest in a full application.

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