Guam’s coral reefs are vital to the island’s communities and economy, yet information on Guam’s coastal reef ecosystems has been limited —until now. Using NASA technology, a research team supported in part by the Pacific Islands CASC will produce fine-scale, three-dimensional maps of Guam’s coral reefs to better capture the extent of coral bleaching events, and how climate change and island development is impacting coral health. The maps of Guam’s marine habitats will allow managers, scientists, and government officials to better understand where sea creatures are dwelling in the reefs, how coral structures are responding to climate change, and measure the effectiveness of coral restoration strategies.  

This work is supported by the Pacific Island CASC project, “Using Cutting-Edge Technology to Assess Coral Reef Bleaching Events and Recovery Rates in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands”.