Advancing ocean monitoring near coral reefs

[Extract] Because of the sensitivity of corals to environmental factors, bleaching events are seen as indicators of the changing state of the world’s oceans as climate warms. In 1997–1998, a worldwide bleaching event occurred. Since then, bleaching has been observed in every ocean basin with increased frequency and severity. For example, in 2010 reefs in Southeastern Asia bleached at record levels, parts of the Hawaiian archipelago have experienced mild bleaching, and current monitoring and forecasts indicate significant to severe bleaching in the Caribbean. Observing the physical properties of ocean waters around coral reefs provides important insights for linking environmental changes to such biological consequences. Remotely sensed data are particularly valuable, providing broad spatial coverage in a timely fashion to inform actions by reef managers. However, there remain significant gaps in monitoring capability and scientific understanding of coral ecosystem responses to changes in the physical environment