Corals from Space

A first-of-its-kind survey of how well the world's coral reefs are being protected was made possible by a unique collection of NASA views from space.

Hawaii's Pearl and Hermes Atoll is part of the recently designated Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, the largest protected marine area in the world.

A team of international researchers compiled an updated inventory of all "marine protected areas" containing coral reefs and compared it with the most detailed and comprehensive satellite inventory of coral reefs.

The assessment found that less than two percent of coral reefs are within areas designated to limit human activities that can harm the reefs and the sea life living in and around them. Countries around the world have created these protected ocean and coastal zones where human activities such as shipping, fishing, recreation and scientific research are restricted to varying degrees.

The new study, published in the June 23 issue of the journal Science, found that while the number of marine protected areas has been increasing, the level of effective worldwide protection of coral reefs is small.

--LiveScience Staff

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Credit: NASA