Space Station Imagery Helps Island Nations Manage Coral Reef
Resources Coral reefs are a critical resource for many island
and coastal nations, particularly in the tropical Pacific and
Indian Oceans. These nations rely on the rich reef ecosystem to
support local fisheries; additionally, the reefs serve as
barriers that help protect coasts from significant waves and
storm surges and bring in substantial revenue through tourism.
Astronaut photographs of coral reefs taken from the
International Space Station provide an important perspective on
coral reef geography, coastal development, and related land
habitats. In recent years, the scientific community has
recognized that reefs around the world are threatened by large
scale processes such as global warming and associated sea level
rise, ocean warming and acidification, and local human
activities such as coastal development, over-fishing and heavy
tourism (see Reefs at Risk and Mapping the Decline of Coral
Reefs ). Collapse of individual reef systems would spell