NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch

Project AWARE Foundation’s partnership with NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch (CRW) satellite program is another positive step toward answering global coral bleaching questions critical to conservation. Project AWARE’s CoralWatch Dive Operators can now take advantage of CRW satellite tools to boost local conservation efforts.

Since bleaching occurs only after coral expels all of its algae, NOAA’s bleaching alerts can help you identify when corals are under stress before stress is visible. The following tools can help CoralWatch Operators inform volunteers and know the importance of collecting regular
data even when corals don’t appear bleached.

How Can This Partnership Benefit Project AWARE Operators and Coral Conservation?

The CRW satellite program monitors for conditions conducive to coral bleaching around the globe. How? Satellite sensors measure heat radiating from the Earth’s surface, including the ocean, allowing NOAA to monitor global sea surface temperatures every day. Satellite temperature readings look for areas at risk for coral bleaching – identifying what is known as HotSpots – the first step in pinpointing areas at risk for bleaching. NOAA’s Degree Heating Weeks product adds up the HotSpots through time, providing accurate predictions of coral bleaching.

Project AWARE CoralWatch Dive Operators collecting on-the-ground coral bleaching and health data can use CRW satellite tools to bolster coral bleaching and health data including Sea Surface Temperature anomalies, Bleaching Indices, Degree Heating Weeks Charts and free Satellite Bleaching Alert Emails.

In turn, data collected from CoralWatch volunteers is readily accessible to NOAA CRW scientists – providing a better overall picture of bleaching and recovery events from the sea surface to the sea floor. NOAA plans to make use of CoralWatch data in its continuous improvement of its data products and to help fine-tune bleaching alerts.

CRW Tools for the CoralWatch Operator - Careful and regular CoralWatch monitoring efforts are encouraged during and after times of stress to provide increased data during this crucial time. Operators should encourage divers to use extreme caution near reefs at this time of reef sensitivity. It is especially important to submit data if you did not see bleaching, because this also provides important information about the relationship between thermal stress and bleaching.

Sea Surface Temperatures

What is the temperature around your local reefs right now? This map shows the sea surface temperature around the world, measured from NOAA satellites. The scale shows the temperature; the warmest areas are shown in orange and red colorations.

Degree Heating Weeks Charts

Are your local reefs at risk for severe bleaching? This depicts the cumulative thermal stress experienced by an area over the last 12 weeks, which is currently the best measure of bleaching risk. Orange to purple indicates persistently high sea surface temperatures, where reefs may be experiencing severe bleaching. Click on the image to go to your region of interest. You may need to pick a location near, but not exactly over, your reef.

Virtual Stations
Is there a bleaching warning for your region? This chart gives detailed, near-real-time data for selected reef sites around the globe.

CoralWatch Operators
Since bleaching does not occur unless almost all of the coral’s algae have left, the bleaching alerts can help you know the corals are under stress.

Sign Up for Satellite Bleaching Email Alerts
Enter your email address and receive free email alerts for reef sites of your interest in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans