November 5, 2007 New coral reef ecosystem maps released today by
NOAA reveal that live coral covers approximately 35 percent of
the Republic of Palau’s shallow-water sea floor, a high
percentage relative to other areas that NOAA has mapped. The
maps are the result of the first comprehensive assessment of the
extent and types of Palau’s coral reefs. The maps and data are
available online. The NOAA mapping effort covered 946 square
miles and was the most extensive coral area mapped by the agency
to date. The government of Palau requested the maps and data to
support development of a biological monitoring program. Resource
managers and scientists will use the maps and other data
collected by NOAA to evaluate the effectiveness of local marine
conservation areas and identify new areas for protection. “NOAA
is leading efforts to map coral ecosystems of the U.S. and
Pacific Freely Associated States,” said Timothy R. E. Keeney,
deputy under secretary for oceans and atmosphere and co-chair of
the U.S. Coral Reef Task