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.