In an effort to find better understanding and protection of the world's largest coral reef system, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched a mission to study Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
According to NASA, scientists from its Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) and its Australian allies discussed the objectives and expectations of the mission.
"This new understanding of reef condition and function will allow scientists to better predict the future of this global ecosystem and provide policymakers with better information for decisions regarding resource management," said Eric Hochberg, CORAL's principal investigator.
The Great Barrier Reef rests in the Coral Sea in Queensland and it encompasses almost 3,000 reefs and 900 islands. It is rich in biodiversity as it is considered the largest structure composed and made by living organisms.
Annually, Australia's Great Barrier Reef yields billions because of the fishing industry and the tourism activity. Unfortunately, even this awe-inspiring ecosystem is not safe from the dangers of the ever-changing world. Even now, the Great Barrier Reef faces human and climate change impacts.
"The Great Barrier Reef is Australia's national treasure, so having a broader understanding of its condition and what's threatening it will help us better understand how we can protect it," said Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) research leader Tim Malthus.
The purpose of the mission is to create a better understanding of what is underneath the water. To date, there current in-water survey techniques that were launched for the same purpose. But because it is expensive and laborious and because it provides limited data, NASA will be utilizing airborne techniques to get a vast but clear picture of the Great Barrier Reef's current state.
CORAL will employ the Portable Remote Imaging Spectrometer (PRISM) from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to help scientists achieve the experience of getting a clear bird's eye view of the scene underwater without having to worry about bad resolution.
Combining this airborne mission to the in-water validation activities, CORAL hopes to achieve more in-depth and specific data.
CORAL is a three-year mission and scientists hope for nothing but success for the sake of one of the world's treasures.
