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Satellite sea surface temperature (SST) data from June 2006. Click the image for a larger view and more information.
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The connection might not be immediately obvious, but the NOAA satellites that orbit
around the earth are a crucial tool in monitoring the environmental conditions that cause coral bleaching. How can a satellite
that is 850km (530 miles) above the ocean help the coral colonies that grow below
the surface? On board some of these satellites is a critical sensor called the
Advanced Very High Resolution
Radiometer, or AVHRR. This sensor measures the radiation that comes from the surface
of the earth, including the ocean, allowing us to monitor the sea surface temperature
(SST). Because the satellites orbit around the earth, NOAA measures SST around the entire
globe every day. Please read on for more information about remote sensing, NOAA's satellite
systems, and how these satellites measure the temperature of the ocean surface.
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