Coral Reef Watch 2002

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's new Coral Reef Watch (CRW) program, led out of its National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) and Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) offi ces will strive to fully utilize NOAA coral resources to monitor and predict changes in coral reef ecosystems worldwide. CRW inaugurated its first Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS) station in 2001 at "Rainbow Gardens," Lee Stocking Island, Great Exuma, Bahamas, with the installation of its first of 20 new in situ monitoring stations slated for many domestic reefs during this decade. A major objective is to discern the relationship between the magnitude and persistence of anomalously high sea surface temperatures in coral reef areas and coral reef bleaching and mortality. By coordinating both in situ point observations with the overview provided through satellite imagery this program is designed to actively support coral reef managers and researchers through near real-time Web-access to coral reef environmental data and coral bleaching alerts.