The US department of the interior is to release 200-thousand US dollars to help states and territories with projects to protect reefs and species that depend on them.
The announcement was made at a meeting jointly held by Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The assistant secretary of interior for fish and wildlife and parks, Craig Manson, says coral reefs are among the world's most imperiled ecosystems.
He says initial funding will be seed money to get many projects off the ground.
