Coral reef at Swains Island in American Samoa, showing an assemblage of plating Montipora coral and branching cauliflower coral Pocillopora meandrina. Credit: James Morioka, NOAA. (Image credit: NOAA)

NOAA and the Smithsonian Institution announced a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) today at the Ocean Biodiversity Summit in Washington, D.C., that advances collaborative efforts to understand and conserve the biodiversity of the world’s ocean ecosystems. Hosted by NOAA and the Smithsonian, the Summit brought together leaders from across the country to discuss solutions to protect and sustain the nation’s ocean and coastal resources.

Read more and see the MOU here!