[Coral-List] Now access Coral Reef Watch Data in Google Earth and HDF

[Mark Eakin]

Two exciting new ways to access Coral Reef Watch satellite data.

For years now, we have made images of our satellite monitoring data  
available online in near-real-time.  Now, reef managers and  
scientists around the world can access the latest data on thermal  
stress that can lead to coral bleaching at their reef locations. The  
data are now available in two flexible new formats: Hierarchical Data  
Format (HDF) and Google Earth.

HDF presents the information as a data grid with imbedded metadata.   
This standard raw data format can be used in many different software  
applications, including the NOAA CoastWatch Data Analysis Tool (CDAT)  
that is specifically customized for the CRW data.  Users can zoom  
from global coverage down to individual pixels, customize the data  
display, turn overlays on and off, etc.  The HDF files and software  
are available for download at http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/ 
satellite/hdf/.

For another easy new way to use the CRW data, they are now available  
for Google Earth.  Once you have installed the free Google Earth  
software, you can access the latest CRW monitoring data overlaid on  
the globe—zoom in, overlay other datasets, or pan around the entire  
earth.  It is an excellent visualization tool that helps bring CRW  
data alive.  To access the CRW data in this format, please visit  
http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/satellite/ge/.

For more information on the entire suite of NOAA Coral Reef Watch  
satellite products, see http://coralreefwatch.noaa.gov/

Cheers,
Mark

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C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D.
Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef Watch
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Center for Satellite Applications and Research
Satellite Oceanography & Climate Division
e-mail: mark.eakin at noaa.gov
url: coralreefwatch.noaa.gov

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