Take in the northern Great Barrier Reef 🪸

Located in Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the world. Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems in the world. Together they support over a quarter of all known marine species, protect coastlines during storms, and help local economies through fisheries and tourism.

However, decades of data, collected in part from @NASA’s airborne and satellite missions, show that corals are declining rapidly. Human actions, like burning fossil fuels, are shifting our global climate by warming the air and ocean. But that isn’t the only way: Pollution and physical damage from ships and divers also play a role.

Satellites provide scientists with important information on the environment around coral reefs, including ocean temperatures and water quality. This helps them understand changes to corals over time.

Image Descriptions:
A satellite image of the northern Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The water is a dark blue with the reefs are turquoise in color. In the second image, the reefs are labels top to bottom Undine Reef, St Crispin Reef, Rudder Roof, Opal Reef, Tongue Teef, and Batt Reef.

#CoralReef #EarthFromSpace #NASA #ClimateChange #GreatBarrierReef