CRW Quarterly Inputs for FY05

1. CRW Quarterly Inputs for FY05 Extracted from ORAD FY05 QTRLY Inputs

2. CRW launches New Satellite Bleaching Alert (SBA) Page for automated early warnings of increased thermal stress: • Experimentally being tested with several key Reef Managers • Expected to go 24/7 to Registered Users Feb 2005 ============================================================================== ** [CRW Alert] Fiji-Beqa: Bleaching Watch ============================================================================== Satellite observations: 1/8/2005 - 1/11/2005 -- Sea surface temperature : 28.9000 Deg C -- Coral bleaching HotSpot : 0.700000 Deg C -- Bleaching Degree Heating Weeks : 0.00000 Deg C-week -- Maximum Monthly Mean SST at site : 28.1000 Deg C For more information, please visit the coral bleaching indices web site: http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/CB_indices/coral_bleaching_indices.html Previous Three Alerts for Fiji-Beqa: --04/17/2004 No Stress --03/30/2004 Bleaching Alert Level 1 --03/02/2004 Bleaching Warning SST Time Series: http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/images/current/SST_Fiji_Beqa.png Reef site name: Fiji-Beqa SST Pixel latitude: -18.5000 SST Pixel longitude: 178.500 Sample Alert Notification Q1 Coral Reef Watch • The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Palau Project completed • Modeling – Hydrodynamic model • Tidal mixing points to circulation/mixing variability that relates to variable bleaching resilience affecting thermal stress

3. Q2 Other Milestones: Coral Reef Watch NOAA/Australian Institute of Marine Science Collaborative Research Cruise – Heron Island, Australia Joint Research Cruise: Research Vessel (R/V) Lady Basten - March 9 – 23, 2005 • Preparations for advanced satellite algorithm development based on a very high resolution hydrodynamic 3-D model of Heron Island area • Refurbishing and deploying temperature & salinity loggers, tide gauges, and current meters • Preparations for deploying coastal High Frequency Radar for regional currents, surface wind fields, and wave statistics • Meetings with the University of Queensland (UQ), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), James Cook University (JCU), and NOAA to review, plan, and discuss a joint 3 year project • Scientific crew: o AIMS: C. Steinberg (2 AIMS scientists, 1 technician) o UQ: Dr. Hoegh-Guldberg - Heron Island facilities o JCU: Dr. Mal Heron (HF Radar) o NOAA: Drs. Colton, Bayler, Strong, & Skirving (Contractor) Benefit : Tools are being developed to improve detection of coral bleaching

4. Q2 Other Milestones: Coral Reef Watch • NOAA/Australia forges ahead on Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with University of Queensland (UQ) • Discussions with UQ financial advisor, Melanie King, re: NOAA’s participation in the World Bank / Global Environment Fund (GEF) Targeted Research project in corals that began January 2005. • $135K due yearly to Coral Reef Watch (A. Strong & W. Skirving) • Starts 1 December 2005; continues for 5 years [minimum] • Mechanism/authority for transferring funding still being worked out with DoC and UQ lawyers • UQ/NOAA Australian Research Council (ARC) Industry “Linkage” Grant proposal expects official decision from ARC on funding May 2005: • Developed to augment NOAA and World Bank/GEF contributions • Joint collaborations for coral reef remote sensing, etc. • Tools are being developed to improve detection of coral bleaching • Supports Integrated Global Environmental Observation and Data Management System Benefit :

5. Coral Reef Watch Q3 •  50-km AVHRR bleaching enhancement • (allows each coastal pixel to be within 4 km of the coast)  • Benefit: 99% of the world's reefs will be under a 50 km HotSpot pixel • A comprehensive database of coral bleaching observations was created • Benefit: A crucial database for CRW to validate and improve current satellite bleaching monitoring products and develop new products • CRW Satellite Bleaching Alert (SBA) system Operational • Benefit: Alert coastal managers of the onset of Coral reef bleaching • in near-real time. • Centre of Excellence established • NOAA was accepted as a partner into the newly established • Australian Centre of Excellence (COE) for Coral Reef Research • Benefit: $AUD12M over 5 years for Coral Reef Research • “Linkage” funding received for the University of Queensland • through the efforts of NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch Program and • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority • IMPACT: Provide Improved Tools to the Coastal Managers to monitor • and maintain the Coral Reefs both domestically and internationally BENEFIT: providing an additional $1.1M to further research directly related to NOAA’s coral research efforts in Australia

6. Q4 CRW Satellite Bleaching Alert (SBA) system reported record high temperature stress (Degree Heating Weeks) in Florida Keys BENEFITS: Alerted coastal managers of the onset of coral reef bleaching IMPACT: Provide Improved Tools to the Coastal Managers to monitor and maintain Coral Reefs both domestically and internationally

7. Q4 Coral Reef Research Collaboration with Australia Enhanced • MOU signed between NOAA and University of Queensland (Australia) for collaborative coral reef research • Workplan developed for 5-year, $1.1M Australian Research Council “Linkage” grant (with University of Queensland, Australian Institute for Marine Science and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ) • Contract established with Queensland Scientific and Engineering Consultants for collaborative bleaching research with Coral Reef Watch BENEFITS: Provides mechanism to support unique Australian partner coral reef research $1.1M research directly related to NOAA’s coral research efforts in Australia IMPACT: Provide Improved Tools to the Coastal Managers to monitor and maintain Coral Reefs both domestically and internationally

8. SST Week-0 Time Week-12 12 weeks  ( HotSpot value  duration )  1°C Q4 Climate Diagnostics Center receives funding to work with Coral Reef Watch to develop bleaching outlooks from climate forecasts HotSpot from Forecasts Degree Heating Weeks BENEFITS: To provide managers with multi-week to seasonal warning of bleaching likelihood IMPACT: Provide Improved Tools to the Coastal Managers to monitor and maintain Coral Reefs both domestically and internationally

9. Coral Reef Watch Q4 • CRW Satellite Bleaching Alert (SBA) system reported record high temperature stress in Florida Keys (press release issued) -- subsequently cooled by Hurricane Katrina • BENEFIT: Alerted coastal managers of the onset of coral reef bleaching • MOU signed between NOAA and University of Queensland (Australia) for collaborative coral reef research • BENEFIT: Provides mechanism to support unique Australian partner coral reef research • Workplan developed for Australian Research Council “Linkage” grant (with University of Queensland, Australian Institute for Marine Science and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ) • BENEFIT: $1.1M research directly related to NOAA’s coral bleaching research in Australia • Contract established with Queensland Scientific and Engineering Consultants for collaborative bleaching research with Coral Reef Watch • BENEFIT: Provides mechanism to support unique Australian partner coral reef research • Climate Diagnostics Center receives funding to work with Coral Reef Watch to develop bleaching outlooks from climate forecasts • BENEFIT: To provide managers with multi-week to seasonal warning of bleaching likelihood • Coral Reef Watch planned as a web portal feature in the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History’s new Ocean Hall (joint with NOAA) • BENEFIT: Provides a high profile venue to promote NOAA satellite products to the public • IMPACT: Provide Improved Tools to the Coastal Managers to monitor • and maintain Coral Reefs both domestically and internationally