CORAL(COral Reef Airborne Laboratory) is a new mission created by NASA to study the current condition of the reef systems around the globe. The mission will allow scientists to understand and predict the future of these reefs as well as the actions needed to be taken to ensure their safety. Such locations will include portions of the Great Barrier Reef, systems in the Hawaiian Islands, Mariana Islands, and Palau.With the Great Barrier Reef being nearly 133,000 square miles, it generates billions of dollars in fishing but faces environmental consequences. Studies of these consequences have been very limited up until now and the new research will include how the reefs respond to environmental changes, responses to stress, and irreversible erosion. To achieve this data, CORAL will be using PRISM(Portable Remote Imaging Spectrometer) which creates high definition images with accuracy, range, resolution, and signal to noise ratio. PRISM's data will be compared with the ten key biological factors affecting coral reefs from precious data to further knowledge.
This project is significant because it is the first major mission taken on to understand the world's coral reefs. Having knowledge of these animal made homes will guide scientists on ways to protect them as well as the animals that inhabit them. With the growth of algae replacing reefs, it is important to know how humans can help before the reefs are gone.
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