Coral Reef Ecosystem Database

Coral Reef Ecosystem Database
Submitted by Technology News... on Thu, 2006-12-14 21:11.Internet

The NOAA Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment will now provide
public access to new digital photographs from six years of coral reef field
studies. The online Coral Reef Ecosystem Database, developed and managed by
the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, provides access to images of
coral reef species and habitats, which were taken during studies in Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Funded by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, the online database
facilitates a variety of coral reef research, management and educational
opportunities. More than a thousand new digital images were added to the
searchable database providing high resolution digital photographs of fish,
hard and soft corals, hydroids, sea grass, sponges, and other invertebrates,
vertebrates and algae which can be directly downloaded via the Internet.

"These new photographs are an additional component to a larger database
providing public access to fish and habitat data for the Caribbean, and are
the result of long-term research activities that have been conducted jointly
with our federal, territorial and academic partners," said Tom McGrath,
database developer for NCCOS's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment.
"NOAA is hopeful others in research and reef management, and the public at
large will enjoy the benefits of such an expansive visual display of our
nation's off-shore habitats."

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