§ 6401. Purposes

The purposes of this chapter are—

• (1) to preserve, sustain, and restore the condition of coral reef ecosystems;
• (2) to promote the wise management and sustainable use of coral reef ecosystems to benefit local communities and the Nation;
• (3) to develop sound scientific information on the condition of coral reef ecosystems and the threats to such ecosystems;
• (4) to assist in the preservation of coral reefs by supporting conservation programs, including projects that involve affected local communities and nongovernmental organizations;
• (5) to provide financial resources for those programs and projects; and
• (6) to establish a formal mechanism for collecting and allocating monetary donations from the private sector to be used for coral reef conservation projects.