Map of Reefs Helps Protect Them (And Not a Single Diver Had to Go Under Water for It)

A team of scientists has created a complete map of shallow coral reefs in the Caribbean in an effort to better protect this fragile ecosystem.

“You cannot protect what you don’t know is there. Having access to these maps is a game-changing achievement for the Caribbean,” says Dr. Robert Brumbaugh, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Caribbean Division. “Understanding and protecting natural resources is critical to the economic success of these countries.”

The Nature Conservancy, the environmental nonprofit behind that project, joined forces with the Arizona State University Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science and Planet Labs to stitch together more than 38,000 high-resolution satellite images. Without the new technologies available, it would have taken around 250 million diver hours to map the whole area. Thirty countries and territories now have more information about their underwater habitats and better tools to protect the coral reefs and the livelihoods that depend on tourism. In 2019, coastal activities generated close to $8 billion in economic value and attracted some $11 million visitors to the Caribbean.