Commonwealth Nations To Protect Coral Reefs With Satellite Technology

Commonwealth countries are to gain free access to satellite technology that will help them monitor and protect their endangered coral reefs from threats such as climate breakdown, overfishing and pollution. The Guardian reports: Commonwealth countries hold nearly half of the world's remaining tropical coral reefs, with 47 out of the 54 member countries having a coastline. Nearly half of them are islands or groups of islands, which face particular threats from the climate crisis, and for whom coral reefs are often vital protections against storms as well as fish nurseries and tourist attractions. Nearly all the reefs are at risk of extinction in the coming decades as the climate crisis takes hold, and nearly half of the world's reefs have already been destroyed or badly damaged in the last 30 years owing to changes in the climate, overfishing, pollution and other exploitation. About 250 million people are directly dependent on coral reefs for their livelihoods.

The technology will use high-resolution satellite images and data analyses to allow marine scientists, government officials and policymakers to monitor the health of coral reefs and take the action needed to protect them. Software will be provided to countries free through the Commonwealth's partnership with Vulcan Inc, a US-based group founded by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen, and a new interactive coral reef map will be hosted online at the Commonwealth Innovation Hub.

Monitor does NOT equal protect

[sheramil]

"Look, down there... the last one, it's going... and, yes, it's gone."

Re: Monitor does NOT equal protect

[Type44Q]

The inmates are clearly taking over the asylum and we're worried about their rapidly-declining language skills... but it could all be a good thing; they'll be far less of a threat once they're forced to communicate with each other in grunts.

Think Idiocracy meets Planet of the Apes.

Re:

[Flownez]

Maybe they have giant mirrors on board that could reflect up to 40% of the sun's rays? They'd need a solution for stray asteroids though...

Biggest threats to coral reefs

[SpankiMonki]

The EPA says: [epa.gov]

Increased ocean temperatures and changing ocean chemistry are the greatest global threats to coral reef ecosystems. These threats are caused by warmer atmospheric temperatures and increasing levels of carbon dioxide in seawater.

I guess more resources to monitor reefs is good and all, and there are certainly other destructive factors at play here, but I'm not sure how satellites are going to allow the Commonwealth to take the actions needed to protect them from the primary threats.

To Protect Coral Reefs With Satellite Technology

[grep -v '.*' *]

Protect, and not just detect?

Well then, I guess now we have Sharks with Lasers AND Satellites with Lasers.

I hope they're all a much better shot than *I* am.

Fixed Headline

[pacija]

Commonwealth Nations To Protect Coral Reefs By Mining More Resources And Burning More Energy. FTFY

Implication from headline:

[thegarbz]

Commonwealth nations will be lent the USA Space Force's Space Laser and use it to fry over-fishers, industrial sites dumping fertilizer into rivers, people who leave their car engines running while using the ATM, and kids who pee in the water from orbit.

Commonwealth

[quenda]

FYI "Commonwealth" is the rebranded British Empire.
Which mean UK, India, Australia, Canada, NZ, Singapore, Malaysia, ... and a bunch of little islands or 3rd world s*holes that don't matter.

Re:

[quenda]

p.s. sorry! forgot Pakistan. Please don't put a bomb under my car.

Re:

[hcs_$reboot]

While you're at it, add also the USA.

Re:

[quenda]

While you're at it, add also the USA.

Nah. While Britain was busy with the Anglo-French War of 1778–1783, the East US got independence, except for Florida, which went to Spain.
So they have been long gone from the Empire/Commonwealth. Ireland left more recently.

Re:

[hcs_$reboot]

Nah, I mean, USA might be part of the Cmlth after the strong alliance with the UK coming in 2021.

Raise awareness

[scilover]

This is part of the solution as the ocean is so big! But even with this technology, it’ll only help if the government raise awareness among citizen in protecting the marine life.