Coral Crisis: Issues & Response is a series of talks and panels held at NSU's Halmos College of Natural Sciences & Oceanography Oceanographic Campus. This section is introductions and a talk by Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., U.S. Navy (ret). He is Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere/Deputy Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He was previously a rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, Oceanographer of the Navy, and Commander of the Navy Meteorology and Oceanography Command. He has experience in weather and ocean forecasting, hydrographic surveying, policy and planning on fisheries, and national security impacts of climate change, and developing the Navy's information technology, cyber security and intelligence. NOAA is the lead federal agency for coral reefs.