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Virtual Coral Vigil Expands

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 10, 2008

WEST PALM BEACH - Satellites are helping scientists expand a virtual network to watch for increases in ocean temperatures that can damage or kill the fragile ecosystems of coral reefs worldwide.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday that its Coral Reef Watch network has been expanded from 24 to 190 locations, including sites in the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Indian and Pacific oceans, Indonesia, Australia and Hawaii.

The agency uses on-site water instruments to monitor ocean temperatures at about a dozen reefs. The expanded system uses satellites to remotely monitor water temperature and other factors without the high cost of deploying devices.

A mere 2-degree rise in typical summertime water temperature can stress corals, causing the tiny marine creatures that form reefs to expel algae living in their tissues.

The Associated Press

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