Coral Reef Products to Support Management of Marine Resources Globally

1. Coral Reef Products to Support Management of Marine Resources Globally Presented by C. Mark Eakin

2. Requirement, Science, and Benefit • Requirement/Objective (Ecosystems, Climate) • Develop tools for ecosystem forecasting to improve decision making • Improve understanding of response to climate change • Science • How can we improve the application of satellite data and models to serve the need for climate information by coral reef resource managers? • Benefit • Provide remotely-sensed information useful in the responses and planning by coral reef marine resource managers / policy makers, scientists, and the public

3. Drivers to Research zooxanthellae Symbiotic algae http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov Why Coral Reefs? • Value: • up to $675 billion annually in fish, seafood, tourism, and coastal protection worldwide • $17 billion in U.S. tourism • 1 billion people rely on reef fish for food • Mass Bleaching (100s of kms) • Caused by high temperatures • Climate Change • One of NOAA’s top 3 reef threats • Only threat with global impact

4. Scientific Approach End-to-End Research to Applications • Apply accurate remotely-sensed physical variables in marine and coastal systems from STAR Science Teams • Temperature • Winds • Irradiance • Ocean Color • Develop coral-specific products • Tailor products to management and science needs through ongoing interactions with end-users • Train users in data access and application of products

5. Operational Products Operational 2002 2002 2002 2003 50km Nighttime Sea Surface Temperature (SST) 2009 SST Anomaly Coral – specific HotSpot Degree Heating Week Bleaching Alert Areas http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov Primary Products: AVHRR SST-based

6. Experimental Forecasts • Operational • Bleaching Alert Areas: • From satellite-SST • Current conditions • 1-3 week advance notice of reef response • Currently POES AVHRR SST • Experimental Bleaching Outlook: • From SST forecast • 4-month outlook • Currently LIM model from ESRL, future NCEP CFS http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov SST Data: from satellites to forecast models

7. Products in Development High-Resolution SST Doldrum Winds Coral Disease Risk Ocean Acidification Light Stress Damage http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

8. Product Delivery • Various Data Delivery Modes • Google Earth • HDF / CoastWatch Data Analysis Tool • Various image and data formats • Redistribution by Regional Users http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov Data Dissemination: Built to Serve User Needs 8

9. Product Delivery http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov Virtual Stations 9

10. Science for Management • Six “Responding to Climate Change” workshops conducted, 120 scientists and managers trained: • Australia, American Samoa (2007) • Florida Keys, Hawaii (2008) • Guam, Bonaire (2009) • Seven “Satellite Tools for Reef Managers” workshops conducted, 180 scientists and managers trained: • Mexico (2005, 2007) • Philippines (2005, 2006) • Zanzibar (2007) • Belize (2009) • Trained over 120 coral reef scientists and manage Outreach and Training

11. Science for Management • Local managers can: • Reduce bleaching • Reduce light stress • Cool reefs, increase mixing • Increase survival • Improve water quality • Reduce disease prevalence • Aid recovery • Plan protected areas • for future bleaching http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

12. Coral Reef Watch • Partnerships • World Bank/Global Environment Facility (WB/GEF) • Australia: Australian Research Council (ARC), Australian Inst. • of Marine Science (AIMS), Australian Bureau of • Meteorology, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority • NGOs: The Nature Conservancy (TNC), • World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Project Aware • Federal Agencies: NASA, USGS • US Universities: U South Florida, Texas A&M, U Puerto Rico, • Cornell, U Guam, U Hawaii • Foreign Universities: U Queensland, James Cook U, • U Tasmania, U Exeter, UNAM (Mexico), U Waterloo, • U Philippines http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

13. Challenges and Path Forward • Science challenges • Addressing new environmental parameters influencing coral reef management decisions • Providing higher-resolution products • Next steps • Working with STAR Science Teams to transition new data to address coral reef management needs • Transition Path • End-to-end approach from science teams to resource managers, path, extent of transition is product dependent

14. Coral Reef Watch • Backup Slides http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

15. Coral Reef Watch Operational Enhanced Experimental Enhanced Coral Bleaching Product Suite • Improved land mask • Operational land mask excludes 60% of world’s coral reefs • New land mask excludes only 6% • Improved climatology • Based on 4-km Pathfinder SST • Improved performance compared to operational • Now in testing phase • Expected to become operational by FY11 http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov Primary Products: SST-based

16. Coral Reef Watch =================================================================== ** [CRW Alert 20070711] Sombrero Reef: Bleaching Warning =================================================================== Satellite observations: 9 July 2007 - 11 July 2007 -- Bleaching Degree Heating Weeks : 0.5 Deg C-week -- Historical Maximum Degree Heating Weeks : 9.2 Deg C-week (2005) -- Coral bleaching HotSpot : 1.0 Deg C -- Sea surface temperature : 30.3 Deg C -- Maximum Monthly Mean SST at site : 29.3 Deg C Previous Three Alerts for Sombrero Reef: --06/25/2007 Bleaching Watch --10/07/2006 No Stress --09/11/2006 Bleaching Watch Reef site name: Sombrero Reef SST Pixel latitude: 25.0 SST Pixel longitude: -81.5 Current Status: Bleaching Warning =================================================================== Automatic Satellite Bleaching Alerts • Currently available for 191 sites • > 450 subscribers http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov Data Delivery: Virtual Stations 16

17. Coral Reef Watch • Partnerships • Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project Grant • “New Tools for Managing Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change on the Southern Great Barrier Reef” (5 years, $1.2M) • MOA between NOAA and University of Queensland • NOAA is industry partner (contributes $140K/yr) • Multiple Objectives • Investigating interactions of temperature, light, and hydrodynamics • High-resolution, three-dimensional model of coral bleaching • Great Barrier Reef high-resolution SST • Coral disease algorithm based on SST • Partners: • Australian Institute of Marine Science • University of Queensland (Australia) • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

18. Coral Reef Watch • Partnerships • World Bank/GEF Coral Reef Targeted Research Program • MOA between NOAA and Univ. of Queensland enabling five-year grant bringing funds into Coral Reef Watch to fund a contractor and international travel. • Member of the remote sensing working group (Pete Mumby, Exeter, Chair) • Many partners: • University of the Philippines • University of Queensland (Australia) • UNAM (Puerto Morelos, Mexico) • University of Waterloo (Canada) • University of Exeter (UK) • Improving product delivery, new product development, and • international capacity building for coral reef managers http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

19. Coral Reef Watch In Development: New Hi-Resolution SST • 1-km AVHRR SST for the Great Barrier Reef captured at Australia HRPT station • Development of an experimental high-resolution (1 km) product suite for • Great Barrier Reef region • Caribbean • Global • What is the optimal resolution? • Partners: NASA, U. South Florida, World Bank CRTR, U. Queensland, AIMS, Australian BoM, The Nature Conservancy, UNEP http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov New Products: SST-based

20. Coral Reef Watch In situ data, Puerto Morelos, Mexico, 2005 Doldrums Product, Caribbean, 08/08/2005 Severe bleaching observed Units=Doldrums Days • Recently enhanced doldrums product with improved algorithm • 6-hourly NCDC Blended Sea Winds and climatology • Evaluates persistence and intensity of low wind events • Validated to coral bleaching events during low wind and low thermal stress http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov New Products: Doldrums from Satellite-Winds

21. Coral Reef Watch • Launched a new experimental data product • Combines POES SST and GOES insolation to pinpoint coral bleaching risk • Algorithm based on coral physiology to improve bleaching and mortality risk • Partners: World Bank CRTR, UNAM, U. Queensland, U. Exeter, University of Tasmania, Australian BoM Animation http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov New Products: Light Stress Damage

22. Coral Reef Watch • New experimental product to pinpoint risk of disease outbreaks • Based on winter and summer SSTs that increase risk of certain coral diseases • Currently available for the Great Barrier Reef and Hawaii • Partners: James Cook U., AIMS, World Bank CRTR, Cornell U., U. Puerto Rico, UNAM, U. Guam, UH, NOAA http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov New Products: Coral Disease Risk

23. Coral Reef Watch Partnership includes NOAA, USGS, NASA Animation Animation http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov New Products: Ocean Acidification

24. Coral Reef Watch • Seven “Satellite Tools for Reef Managers” workshops conducted: • Mexico (2005, 2007) • Philippines (2005, 2006) • Zanzibar (2007) • Belize (2009) • Trained over 180 coral reef scientists and managers on: • Remote sensing of sea surface temperature • How elevated temperature causes coral bleaching • Coral Reef Watch data products from NOAA satellites that pinpoint areas currently at risk for bleaching http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov Outreach and Training

25. Coral Reef Watch 12 weeks Σ(HotSpot value × duration) ≥ 1°C SST Bleaching threshold (MMMSST+1ºC) Maximum Monthly Mean SST Climatology (MMMSST) Week-0 Time Week-12 a b c d HotSpots Degree Heating Weeks ≥ 4 DHWs coral bleaching is expected ≥ 8 DHWs mass bleaching and mortality are expected http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

26. Impacts http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov Outreach and Training

27. Outcomes http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov Publication, Solid Science