Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform

CORDAP is an initiative whose main activity is the funding, implementation, and management of coordinated and collaborative R&D programs for the conservation and restoration of warm tropical corals and reefs, and deep and cold-water corals.
Specifically, CORDAP-funded projects will accelerate the development, and pilot testing, of next-generation, accessible, scalable, and affordable scientific and technological solutions to enable the conservation and restoration of the world’s corals and coral reefs as the scales required. Increasing the resilience of corals to climate change and human impacts is a key factor in this mission.
Guiding these investments are R&D Technology Roadmaps. A number of studies and workshops have been held by CORDAP and partners to produce roadmaps to highlight critical knowledge and technology gaps, and how they can be addressed. Key objectives are to align and bring together global coral R&D efforts, as well as guide CORDAP’s R&D funding priorities and decisions.
Other key objectives of CORDAP are to connect existing national, regional, and international R&D programs, provide advanced R&D training and facilitate access to information and research facilities, particularly for scientists in developing countries, and leverage the R&D capacity of the private sector to meet these goals.
CORDAP is committed to supporting a diverse, gender-balanced, transdisciplinary global community of scientists, technologists, and innovators to achieve these goals. The initiative is an endorsed UN Ocean Decade action and will be a key implementor in achieving global biodiversity targets, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
The initiative has an international Governing Committee composed of G20 and non G20 member countries as well as coral organizations and stakeholders. Membership is open to all countries and organizations committed to the conservation and restoration of corals and reefs, and CORDAP actively encourages and pursues partnership and cooperative actions to achieve collective goals. The platform is guided by an international Scientific and Advisory Committee, composed of 22 members from 14 countries. Current CORDAP funded projects totaling USD $18M extend over 21 countries, 13 of which are developing nations.
Additionally, CORDAP will contribute to the Mission in the following ways:
• Public endorsement of the Mission Charter
• Highlight links between the Mission objectives and CORDAP’s activities.
• Engage with Mission supporting projects, actions and fora to discuss how CORDAP can help develop cooperative activities to better achieve the Mission objectives.
• Become an active contributor to WaveLinks.eu to ensure CORDAP R&D outputs are communicated to, and available to, all Mission actions.
• Encourage Member Organizations to endorse the Mission Charter and submit actions.
• Showcase the Mission, and increase visibility of, and communicate about, the Mission through CORDAP’s networks and social media channels.
• Engage in, and actively contribute to, Mission events.