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![]() October 3, 2006 NASA Satellite Data Helps Assess the Health of Florida's Coral Reef The project was the first comprehensive assessment of the resiliency of reefs along the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary is administered by NOAA in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The Sanctuary stretches from the Dry Tortugas to the southern boundary of Biscayne National Park. The area north of there has reefs and is part of the Florida Reef Resilience Program, but lies outside the sanctuary. Scientists are trying to determine why some reefs are resilient to environmental changes and impacts. The work may also identify ways to care for reefs worldwide. Data from the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites gave accurate, up-to-date information on sea surface temperatures to identify areas vulnerable to bleaching. The data was also used to measure the cumulative heat buildup over several weeks, shown to be particularly important to the health of reefs. Researchers also used the recently developed Landsat-based Millennium Coral Reef Map http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi/landsat.pl to determine which reef areas were most appropriate for sampling. Funded by NASA and created at the University of South Florida, the global map divides Florida's coral reef into about 70 different reef zones. Climate conditions, especially sea surface temperatures, are considered a major factor in coral reef health. Bleaching events typically peak when waters reach their warmest levels, usually in late summer and early fall. Phenomena like El Niño have also been linked to declines in reef health. During the strong El Niño of 1998, about 30 percent of coral off the Florida Keys died after a single mass bleaching. Coral is a rocklike deposit of skeletons from marine animals that accumulate to form reefs, providing habitat for more than 1 million species of plants and animals while also protecting coastlines from storm damage and erosion. For more information and images, visit: For more information about the MODIS satellite, visit: For more information about the Millennium Coral Reefs Landsat Archive, visit: For more information about NOAA's Coral Reef Watch, visit: ## Contact: Mike Bettwy This text is derived from: Recommend this Article to a Friend Back to: News |
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