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June 5, 2024 - Great Barrier Reef
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On June 3, 2024, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the Great Barrier Reef shimmering like gemstones scattered across the ocean off the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest and most biodiverse natural ecosystems on Earth. Spread across 134,000 square miles (346,000 square kilometers) of the Coral Sea, it holds the Earth’s largest collection of coral reefs, providing home for about 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, and 4,000 types of mollusks. According to UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the Great Barrier Reef also holds great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong (‘sea cow’) and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction.
This magnificent natural wonder faces many threats, including ocean acidification and warming sea surface temperatures. There have been at least seven widespread bleaching events on the reef since 1998, most of which occurred after 2016.
On March 8, 2024, Australian government officials confirmed that the Great Barrier Reef was suffering widespread coral bleaching caused by heat stress over an exceptionally warm summer. Aerial surveys found bleaching in shallow water areas over two-thirds of the reef. This is the fifth bleaching event since 2016.
A common metric used to assess the risk to coral reefs from high water temperature is the number of weeks that sea surface temperatures have exceeded the mean monthly maximum temperature by 1 degree Celsius. Significant coral bleaching may occur after 4 weeks of elevated temperatures, and severe, widespread coral bleaching is likely after 8 such weeks. As of early March, parts of the reef had been exposed to between 8 and 10 hotter-than-normal weeks, according to the reef authority.
While water temperatures are still warmer than average, the amount of excess warmth has decreased over the autumn season (between March and May). On June 3, the water temperature in the Great Barrier Reef was 25.7°C (78.26°F), according to the SeaTemperatureInfo website. The average sea water temperature on this date is 25.1°C (77.28°F), so the current temperature is less than 1°C over average. Water temperature is expected to drop to average June temperature over the next several weeks.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 6/3/2024
Resolutions:
1km (88.1 KB), 500m (230.7 KB), 250m (463 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On June 3, 2024, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the Great Barrier Reef shimmering like gemstones scattered across the ocean off the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest and most biodiverse natural ecosystems on Earth. Spread across 134,000 square miles (346,000 square kilometers) of the Coral Sea, it holds the Earth’s largest collection of coral reefs, providing home for about 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish, and 4,000 types of mollusks. According to UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the Great Barrier Reef also holds great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong (‘sea cow’) and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction.
This magnificent natural wonder faces many threats, including ocean acidification and warming sea surface temperatures. There have been at least seven widespread bleaching events on the reef since 1998, most of which occurred after 2016.
On March 8, 2024, Australian government officials confirmed that the Great Barrier Reef was suffering widespread coral bleaching caused by heat stress over an exceptionally warm summer. Aerial surveys found bleaching in shallow water areas over two-thirds of the reef. This is the fifth bleaching event since 2016.
A common metric used to assess the risk to coral reefs from high water temperature is the number of weeks that sea surface temperatures have exceeded the mean monthly maximum temperature by 1 degree Celsius. Significant coral bleaching may occur after 4 weeks of elevated temperatures, and severe, widespread coral bleaching is likely after 8 such weeks. As of early March, parts of the reef had been exposed to between 8 and 10 hotter-than-normal weeks, according to the reef authority.
While water temperatures are still warmer than average, the amount of excess warmth has decreased over the autumn season (between March and May). On June 3, the water temperature in the Great Barrier Reef was 25.7°C (78.26°F), according to the SeaTemperatureInfo website. The average sea water temperature on this date is 25.1°C (77.28°F), so the current temperature is less than 1°C over average. Water temperature is expected to drop to average June temperature over the next several weeks.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 6/3/2024
Resolutions:
1km (88.1 KB), 500m (230.7 KB), 250m (463 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
