Satellites & Bleaching Introduction
Welcome    |    About Coral Reef Watch

NOAA Coral Reef Watch is currently (in 2020) celebrating its 20th Anniversary!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is part of the U.S. Government, housed within the Department of Commerce. Part of NOAA's responsibility is to operate environmental satellites that observe terrestrial, atmospheric, and oceanic conditions on Earth and manage the data that these satellites produce. For instance, most of the satellite images you see in weather forecasts come from NOAA satellite systems. Coral Reef Watch (CRW) is a program within NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) that uses satellite observations to predict and remotely monitor the coral reef environment. This helps resource managers, scientists, and other stakeholders observe, study, manage, protect, and restore the world's coral reef ecosystems.

CRW is only one of the coral reef activities that NOAA undertakes. All of these activities are coordinated under the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. In addition, there are many other U.S. governmental bodies that care for the nation's coral reefs. All of the state, territory, and national government agencies with coral reef responsibilities are coordinated through the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force.

CRW developed this tutorial with financial support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

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