Koss, J.

Advancing coral reef science and conservation with technology

2015

NOAA Coral Reef Conservaiton Program

Sea Technology

1

"Healthy coral reefs are some of the most complex and important ecosystems in the marine environment. They are also among the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on Earth, providing hundreds of billions of dollars in food, jobs, recreational opportunities, coastal protection and other important services. Despite their economic value and biological significance, coral reefs in the U.S. are threatened by an increasing array of impacts. The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program supports effective management and sound science to preserve, sustain and restore coral reef ecosystems for future generations. This year, NOAA scientists harnessed various ocean technologies - at global and regional scales - in innovative ways to reduce the impacts of climate change, fishing and pollution to coral reefs and advance coral reef science. It is increasingly important for scientists and managers to track ocean temperature, weather patterns, sea level and ocean chemistry to provide early warning to conditions that could result in bleaching events and other damage to reefs. In 2014, scientists with NOAAs Coral Reef Watch made strides in developing precise near-real-time and prediction tools based on satellite, modeled and in-situ sea surface temperature data collected worldwide. On a more regional scale, scientists actively worked on developing user-friendly, high-resolution ocean models that will predict future coral bleaching rates and ocean acidification impacts on coral reefs in the greater Caribbean. In the Pacific, ocean models and simulations are under development to predict how fish and coral larvae - young organisms that replenish and maintain reefs and fish populations - may be affected by changes in regional ocean currents as a result of climate change. Together these efforts represent novel uses of technology to deliver information and tools coral reef managers and lawmakers around the world can use to address the impacts of climate change. Through continued advances in scientific diving, remote sensing and identifying genetic mechanisms that make some coral naturally resilient to thermal stresses, NOAAs Coral Reef Conservation Program will continue to advance coral reef science to ensure these valuable resources are preserved, sustained and restored for future generations."