In October 2020, Australian scientists discovered a free-standing coral reef "skyscraper" on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, nearly 500 meters high and 1.5 kilometers wide, surpassing the height of the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building in New York, the first time such a huge discovery in 120 years. coral reef.
This marks a challenge - given the high cost of ocean exploration and the still-nascent exploration technology, we know very little about the underwater world. To better understand the mysteries of the world's oceans, a team of scientists is using satellite imaging to map in unprecedented detail one of Earth's most iconic underwater ecosystems: shallow coral reefs
They are also researchers on the Allen Coral Atlas project, which was started by Vulcan, the philanthropic group founded by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is working with Vulcan to empower coral reef practitioners, managers and policymakers around the world, especially in developing countries, on how to use the new atlas.
"The atlas is designed to improve our understanding of coral reef ecosystems and drive better evidence-based policies to protect corals," said Chuck Cooper, general manager of government and community relations at Vulcan.
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