Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March 2010 Coral Reef Watch: Products to Support Management of Marine Resources Globally Presented by C. Mark Eakin Presented by C. Mark Eakin

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Requirement, Science, and Benefit NOAA Requirements (Ecosystems, Climate) –Forecasting ecosystems events for ecosystem management –Building capacity to support management –Causes and consequences of climate change Science: –Using satellite data and models to serve information on coral reef threats Benefit: –NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (funding source) –Marine Resource Managers / Policy Makers –Scientists –Stakeholders / Public

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch End-to-End Approach –Rely on Science Teams for accurate remote sensing of physical variables in marine and coastal systems Temperature Winds Irradiance Ocean Color –Develop coral-specific products –Work with users to tailor products to management and science needs –Train users in data access and application of products

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Why Coral Reefs? Value: –up to $375 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 Symbiotic algaezooxanthellae

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Primary Products: SST-based Coral – specific 50km Nighttime Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Operational 2002 SST Anomaly 2002 HotSpot2002 Degree Heating Week 2003

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch SST Time Week-0Week-12 Bleaching threshold (MMMSST+1ºC) Maximum Monthly Mean SST Climatology (MMMSST) HotSpots Degree Heating Weeks Σ ( HotSpot value × duration) 12 weeks ≥ 1°C ≥ 4 DHWs coral bleaching is expected ≥ 8 DHWs mass bleaching and mortality are expected bcad

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Primary Products: SST-based Coral – specific 50km Nighttime Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Operational 2002 SST Anomaly 2002 HotSpot2002 Degree Heating Week 2003 Bleaching Alert Areas 2009

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Primary Products: SST-based Operational Bleaching Alert Areas: From satellite-SST From satellite-SST Current conditions Current conditions 1-3 week advance notice of reef response 1-3 week advance notice of reef response Currently POES AVHRR SST Currently POES AVHRR SST Experimental Bleaching Outlook: From SST forecast From SST forecast 4-month outlook 4-month outlook Currently LIM model from ESRL, future NCEP CSM Currently LIM model from ESRL, future NCEP CSM

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch New Products Light Stress Damage Ocean Acidification Coral Disease Risk High-Resolution SST Doldrum Winds

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Data Delivery: Built to Serve User Needs 10 Various Data Delivery Modes -Google Earth -HDF / CoastWatch Data Analysis Tool -Various image and data formats Redistribution by Regional Users

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Data Delivery: Virtual Stations 11

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Outreach and Training 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

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Outreach and Training

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Publication, Solid Science

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch 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

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March 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

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Challenges and Path Forward End-to-End Approach Strong link to users, resource management Continuing science challenges –Applications for Land-Based Pollution (2 nd of 3 NOAA primary threats to coral reefs) –Other reef stressors Next steps –Higher resolution SST –Quantitative Ocean Color in case I and II waters –Continued, reliable scatterometer winds

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Backup Slides

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Primary Products: SST-based 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 Experimental Enhanced Coral Bleaching Product Suite OperationalEnhanced

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Data Delivery: Virtual Stations 20 =================================================================== ** [CRW Alert ] Sombrero Reef: Bleaching Warning =================================================================== Satellite observations: 9 July July 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: Current Status: Bleaching Warning =================================================================== Automatic Satellite Bleaching Alerts Currently available for 191 sites > 450 subscribers

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March 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

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March 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

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch New Products: SST-based 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 In Development: New Hi-Resolution SST

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch New Products: Doldrums from Satellite-Winds 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 In situ data, Puerto Morelos, Mexico, 2005 Severe bleaching observed Doldrums Product, Caribbean, 08/08/2005 Units=Doldrums Days

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch New Products: Light Stress Damage 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

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch New Products: Coral Disease Risk 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

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch New Products: Ocean Acidification Partnership includes NOAA, USGS, NASA

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Outreach and Training Six “Responding to Climate Change” workshops conducted: –Australia, American Samoa (2007) –Florida Keys, Hawaii (2008) –Guam, Bonaire (2009) Based on A Reef Manager’s Guide to Coral Bleaching Trained over 120 coral reef scientists and managers on: –Climate change issues and impacts on coral reefs –Predicting mass coral bleaching, assessing impacts –Building resilience via Marine Protected Areas and Response Plans

Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) Review 09 – 11 March Coral Reef Watch Outreach and Training 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