Satellites & Bleaching Bleaching Alerts

We recognize that it is not always easy for coral reef managers and scientists to visit the NOAA CRW website to obtain updated information about environmental conditions on their reefs. Even when users are familiar with the CRW satellite data on coral bleaching, they may not think to check our website regularly for local conditions in their area. So, beginning with our heritage suite of twice-weekly global 50km products, we designed an automated system of free e-mail alerts to warn people when the heat stress rises to dangerous levels.

Alerts are established presently for our next-generation 5km Regional Virtual Stations (not discussed in this tutorial). Coral reef managers, scientists, and the public can receive free automated e-mails to alert them to environmental conditions close to their reefs of interest. Users also have the option to sign-up for global alerts for all available 5km Regional Virtual Station sites to stay abreast of how coral bleaching heat stress is impacting reefs worldwide.

This is what a Satellite Bleaching Alert e-mail looks like:

The e-mail gives the current conditions at the Regional Virtual Station, a short history of previous alerts at that location, and links to more information on the NOAA CRW website.

The bleaching alert level at each Regional Virtual Station is based on the current 5km HotSpot and 5km DHW (not discussed in this tutorial) at the coral reef site or region. Prior versions of the 50km Satellite Bleaching Alert e-mail system were based on the 50km HotSpot and 50km DHW at each 50km Virtual Station site.

To sign up for free, automated Satellite Bleaching Alert e-mails (for our 5km Regional Virtual Stations), click here.

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