The coral reefs in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the rest of the Caribbean are among the most biodiverse places on the planet. They’re also disappearing, threatened by everything from climate change to overfishing. A new map visualizes, for the first time, exactly what’s underwater in the area—so local governments can better protect it.
The situation changed in part because of Planet Labs, a startup that launched to make satellite images more affordable and accessible. Planet’s constellation of small satellites also map the entire globe every day, making it easier for the scientists to find images with the right weather conditions to see underwater.
The map, showing fine details like the location of seagrass or algae or rocks, will be available to anyone to download. “We want to make the data accessible, and understand with each of the governments we work with how we can infuse these products into their decision-making process,” he says. The map will also be incorporated into the Allen Coral Atlas, a project that eventually plans to map the world’s coral reefs automatically—so scientists and governments can track changes in real time.
