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Description:
Project Manager:
Derek Manzello
Project Years:
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Project Summary:
Climate change has become the greatest single threat to coral reefs globally. First documented in the early 1980s, mass coral bleaching has become one of climate change's most visible marine ecological impacts. Coral bleaching has become more extensive, frequent, and intense. This can be seen in the acceleration of marine heatwaves that cause mass bleaching. It's clear that remotely monitoring coral reefs and providing actionable intelligence are critical for early detection, on-the-ground response, communication, and enhancing coral reef resilience.In response to these, NOAA established the Coral Reef Watch (CRW) program. For more than 20 years, CRW has utilized remote sensing, modeled and in situ data to predict, observe, and alert users globally to threats to the coral reef environment. The near real-time satellite products and modeled predictions that comprise the world's only global early-warning system of coral reef environmental changes have successfully and accurately monitored and predicted all major mass coral bleaching events observed globally since 1997, and have provided other critical information to users, especially during periods of severe oceanic heat stress. CRW's products help resource managers, scientists, decision makers, and the public monitor climate change impacts to coral reef ecosystems worldwide (especially leading up to and during stress events); understand links between environmental conditions and ecosystem impacts; assess the potential resilience of local reefs to climate-driven impacts (especially mass bleaching); communicate changing reef conditions to the public; and prioritize resources to implement timely, effective protective responses and adaptation actions (including large-scale, in-water restoration efforts). This helps improve management and regulation of coral reefs in a rapidly warming climate. In response to CRW's modeled Outlooks and near real-time satellite monitoring of the coral reef environment, and its regular communication with users worldwide, users have reduced local stressors (including by closing major scuba diving and fishing areas) during severe oceanic heat stress events, rescued native and rare coral colonies (for maintenance in onshore facilities), and shaded and cooled key nursery reefs. Additionally, users apply CRW products to identify locations for new conservation and restoration projects, to give transplanted corals or corals grown in-situ the best chance at survival. Our work also continues to inform multiple national and international assessments of coral reef conditions, and is often highlighted by the press, especially leading up to and during major heat stress and mass coral bleaching events around the world. CRW's decision support products are based on data from NOAA and partner countries' satellites and climate models. Along with an extensive network of NOAA and external scientific partners, CRW develops and applies new satellite algorithms, seasonal-scale bleaching outlooks for near-term forecasts, and long-term climate projections to identify potential climate change impacts into the future. In response to the ever-changing landscape of satellites, sensors, models, algorithms, and in-water observation networks that NOAA and its partners use, and following scientific and technological breakthroughs, CRW regularly analyzes, calibrates, and updates its products. New product development and enhancements are designed specifically to address the NOAA and NESDIS missions, pillar-based and cross-cutting priorities defined in the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Strategic Plan (especially Objectives C1.1, C1.2 and C1.3, among others), and direct user requests. Additionally, CRW and a number of its partners and users frequently publish CRW product descriptions, analyses, and applications in the peer-reviewed, scientific literature. This keeps NOAA on the cutting-edge of coral health prediction, monitoring, and assessment and allows it to meet user needs and established missions, goals, and objectives. CRW is uniquely qualified to provide essential environmental intelligence. Its extensive partnership network with data providers, scientists, and coral reef managers allows CRW to leverage key efforts in the U.S. and internationally, to undertake research to develop the best possible products for its users, and to better understand how stakeholders use CRW tools. CRW works closely with users, from product conceptualization through to operationalization, providing training in appropriate product use, and garnering feedback to improve products and tools. This allows CRW to provide a better understanding of climate change threats to coral reefs and establishes sound practices for the use of its products to enhance resilience-based coral reef management.
Expected Outcome:
NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW) utilizes satellite, modeled, and in situ data to provide decision support products that users apply worldwide to prepare for and effectively respond to coral reef ecosystem environmental stressors (from climate- and terrestrial-input). With NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) funding, CRW continues researching, developing, testing, improving, maintaining, and delivering its core, daily global and regional 5km-resolution satellite-based coral bleaching heat stress products; a probabilistic, modeled Four-Month Coral Bleaching Outlook; and other satellite-based decision support products, such as the Marine Heatwave Watch (MHW), Coral Disease Outbreak Risk, Thermal History, Light Stress Damage, and Satellite Ocean Color monitoring products, further preparing many of these for transition-to-operations by NOAA. In FY2024-2026, CRW will develop new, user-requested near real-time and forecast products (including single-pixel Virtual Stations for all of the U.S. jurisdictions and select international sites; a new Coral Reef Thermal Refugia suite; and regional 5x5km Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP-6) Degree Heating Week (DHW) projections to 2099). New product development/enhancements specifically address pillar-based and cross-cutting priorities defined in the CRCP Strategic Plan and during the FY24-26 Jurisdictional and National Priority Setting workshops, as well as direct user needs/requests and the NOAA, NESDIS, and STAR missions. Resource managers, scientists, decision makers, in-water monitoring networks, and the public regularly apply CRW's near real-time satellite products and modeled Four-Month Outlook to monitor and predict climate impacts to reef ecosystems; understand links between environmental conditions and ecosystem impacts; assess when reefs are vulnerable or potentially resilient to climate change and its impacts; communicate broadly and quickly changes in the coral reef environment that will impact/are impacting local reefs; and implement timely, protective responses and adaptation actions. In response to NOAA CRW's satellite and modeled products, alerts, and email communications, users have reduced local stressors during periods of high oceanic heat stress (including by closing scuba diving and fishing areas), rescued native and rare corals, and shaded/cooled key nursery reefs. Additionally, users apply CRW's satellite products to identify locations for new conservation and restoration projects, to give transplanted corals or corals grown in situ the best chance at survival. CRW's satellite and modeled products also inform several national and international assessments of coral reef conditions, and are often highlighted by the press, especially leading up to and during severe heat stress and mass coral bleaching events around the world. CRW publishes frequently (as a program and with key scientific partners) on its algorithms, methodologies, products, and their applications. Furthermore, CRW continuously addresses user requests for data and information, conducting substantial educational outreach, and broadly and quickly communicating critical product information (including summaries and analyses) to users via its website, social media accounts, email networks, regular partner and in-water monitoring network reports, presentations, and other outreach materials.
Project Locations:
Project Category:
Climate Change
Project Status:
Ongoing
Associated Products:
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