CoralWatch: Monitoring Coral Health Globally
Project Overview:
CoralWatch combines coral health monitoring with education and public outreach, raising awareness about coral reefs and climate change. Using the Coral Health Chart, participants can easily measure changes in coral color caused by bleaching, even without prior training. The chart is available in 13 languages, making it accessible to people worldwide.
With members in 137 countries and a growing online community of 30,000 followers, CoralWatch has built a global network dedicated to protecting reefs. Now, the initiative is expanding with a new program, ‘What Can I Do?’, offering practical tips to reduce carbon emissions and help save reefs from anywhere in the world.
Program Partners
- CoralWatch
- The University of Queensland
Location
- Global OceanGlobal Ocean
Expected Time Frame
- Ongoing
Citizen Science activity parameters listed above are flexible and negotiable.
Background:
CoralWatch (www.coralwatch.org) was founded in 2002 at The University of Queensland as a citizen science initiative. It empowers anyone to monitor coral bleaching using the Coral Health Chart, a simple, scientifically validated tool. The chart features a 6-point color scale, allowing users to easily assess changes in coral color and track bleaching events over time (Siebeck et al., 2006).
This user-friendly system has been embraced by scientists, dive clubs, resorts, schools, community groups, and local governments. In scientific research, CoralWatch has been referenced in over 100 published studies, including prestigious journals like Nature and Science.
So far, CoralWatch participants have collected data on over 477,000 corals from 2,343 reefs in 79 countries, creating one of the largest global datasets for monitoring coral health.
Mission:
Project Mission:
CoralWatch aims to increase public awareness of the importance of coral reefs and empower people to take action to protect them by participating in scientific research and education efforts.
Objectives:
- Provide Accessible Data: Maintain a global coral health database and an interactive data map, offering real-time information on reef conditions worldwide.
- Support Volunteer Networks: Grow and support a global community of volunteers monitoring coral health and building resilience against climate change and coral bleaching.
- Offer Engaging Tools: Develop hands-on monitoring and education tools to raise awareness about the significance of reefs and inspire sustainable, low-carbon behaviors.
- Promote Community Action: Encourage individuals and communities to protect reefs and combat climate change through informed choices and actions.
Applications:
CoralWatch has created one of the largest global datasets on coral bleaching, with data from over 477,000 corals across 79 countries. This extensive dataset supports scientific research, informs conservation strategies, and empowers communities to monitor and protect reefs worldwide. All data is publicly available and downloadable for anyone to use
Relevant/Previous Scientific Publication(s):
How to Participate:
To participate, please reach out to SeaKeepers’ South Pacific Director, Melissa White at melissa@seakeepers.org to sign up and receive your coral kit including the color chart.
Program Partners:
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