More than one million high-resolution images from 860 of the world’s coral reefs have been made available to scientists by The University of Queensland and ocean conservation non-profit, Underwater Earth.
Project leader UQ’s Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg said the research and images were integral to better protecting the world’s reefs.
“Coral reefs provide food and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people globally and are home to thousands of species,” Professor Hoegh-Guldberg said.
“Yet coral reefs have been severely impacted by climate change, poor land management practices, pollution and invasive species.
“Urgent conservation action is required to protect these reefs from the impact of climate change and local factors such as pollution and over-fishing.”
