From June 2016 through May 2017 CORAL will be conducting field campaigns in four representative reef areas across the globe: the main Hawaiian Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, Palau and the Mariana Islands. Together, these regions cover wide ranges of reef type, physical forcings, human threats and biodiversity.
CORAL Survey Regions
NASA Earth Blog #11
The Magic of the Marianas and Micronesia by Ali Hochberg / WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN / Many people are familiar with—or have at least heard of—the Mariana Trench. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, this crescent-shaped feature on Earth’s crust is the deepest...
NASA Earth Blog #10
Taking the Pulse of the Reef: “It’s Algalicious” NASA EARTH·TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2016 Bob Carpenter surveys the seafloor surrounding the research vessel Anthias as it glides over Blue Lagoon, the largest part of the reef that envelops Heron Island. He and his team,...
NASA Earth Blog #9
Heron Island: Like Nowhere Else on Earth Heron Island is a 42-acre coral cay located within the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, 45 miles (72 kilometers) off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is surrounded by a 5-mile-long...
NASA Earth Blog #8
Coral Reef Close-up: CORAL Goes Down Under Down Under NASA EARTH·FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 It’s a warm and sunny morning in mid-September as Stacy Peltier and her colleagues on NASA’s Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) mission survey team prepare for their first...
NASA Earth Blog #7
NASA’s CORAL Mission Journeys to Oz NASA EARTH·TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 G’day from Australia! With the successful June campaign readiness tests in Hawaii behind them, NASA’s Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) team has rolled up their sleeves and are now hard at...
NASA Earth Blog #6
CORAL Completes First Airborne Look at Coral Reefs Posted on June 22, 2016 at 4:30 pm by sreiny. A high five for a successful science flight. Michelle Gierach (left) greets Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) Project System Engineer Ernesto Diaz and Portable Remote...
NASA Earth Blog #5
The Puzzling Case of Kaneohe Bay Posted on June 20, 2016 at 2:11 pm by sreiny. Kaneohe Bay, with Moku O Loe island at right center. Dredge and fill operations in the bay expanded the island from 12 acres to 28 acres. Credit: NASA/James Round by Carol Rasmussen / OAHU,...
NASA Earth Blog #4
By Carol Rasmussen How We Became CORAL Scientists Posted on June 16, 2016 at 4:38 pm by sreiny. Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) scientists Michelle Gierach and Eric Hochberg identify reef locations for study at Kaneohe Bay on Oahu, Hawaii. Credit: NASA/James...
NASA Earth Blog #3
By Carol Rasmussen Looking for a Few Cloudless Hours Posted on June 14, 2016 at 3:27 pm by sreiny. Kaaawa Valley, near Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu, on an overcast day. Credit: NASA/James Round Most offices in Honolulu were closed Friday, June 10, for King...
NASA Earth Blog #2
By Carol Rasumussen In an Airborne Campaign, Why Boats? Posted on June 10, 2016 at 1:59 pm by sreiny. What makes the Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) a game-changer is its airborne instrument. NASA’s Portable Remote Imaging Spectrometer (PRISM) will fly at...