WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- NASA satellite data were used to help monitor the health of Florida's coral reef as part of a field research effort completed last month.
The project was the first comprehensive assessment of the resiliency of reefs along the entire National Marine Sanctuary that stretches about 300 miles from Martin County in south-central Florida to the Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys.
Scientists are trying to determine why some reefs are resilient to environmental changes, in addition to identifying ways to care for reefs worldwide.
At nearly 175 sites, scuba divers recorded the number and species of coral and the extent of bleaching -- corals turn white when algae that live inside them die. Bleaching is a symptom of coral stress, which can be caused by high water temperatures, other environmental stresses or disease.
The NASA satellite data were used to obtain information on sea surface temperatures and to measure cumulative heat buildup that's particularly important to the health of reefs.
After the data are analyzed, scientists will be able to identify the factors, including genetics, that might make some types of coral resilient to adverse conditions and bleaching.
