Allen Coral Atlas

Unprecedented mapping of the planet’s coral habitats gives researchers and policymakers a map to heal Earth’s oceans and climate.

Makenna Flynn

From offering food security and protecting coastlines to supporting 25 percent of the ocean’s marine biodiversity, coral reefs play a vital role for this planet. And for these marine ecosystems, information is opening new doors for targeted action.

In 2017, a group of organizations brought together under the vision of Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul G. Allen and celebrated marine biologist Ruth Gates set out to create global habitat maps and connect a community of coral conservationists, researchers and educators around the world.

Created by and for the community, the Allen Coral Atlas is more than a resource. It is a collaboration of coral reef scientists and conservationists working together to build and improve coral reef mapping and monitoring. From the creation of habitat maps through using the Atlas for conservation impact, community and innovation are the key ingredients.

In September, the Allen Coral Atlas, now managed by the ASU Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, met a major milestone by completing global habitat maps of the world’s tropical, shallow coral reefs. By combining satellite imagery, advanced analytics and object-based analysis, the global collaboration has resulted in maps that show the marine ecosystem’s benthic and geomorphic data in unprecedented detail. Reefs between the latitudinal lines 30º N and 30º S were mapped and turned into downloadable data available on the atlas website.

“We now have the highly detailed maps needed to create new spatial plans and marine protected areas,” says Wen Wen, a marine spatial analyst in Indonesia. “The Allen Coral Atlas is playing a large role in prioritizing 30 million hectares of

a new MPAs and providing alternative locations for a coastal economic development project of a shoreline airport. This tool is a blessing to our country.”

Currently, officials from 14 countries are engaged with atlas team members, working on 48 new marine planning projects using the atlas maps as their foundational data set.

Vatu Molisa, Vanuatu Project Liaison Officer for the IUCN Marine Program, explained how the atlas will be used to inform the region’s coral protection activities. “We will be utilizing this very valuable and important dataset to contribute to our continuing National Marine Spatial Plan and efforts, and look forward to future and continuing collaborations.”

The use of the habitat maps goes beyond marine spatial planning, with organizations using the atlas for disaster recovery, proposed policies for fishing regulations and the identification and documentation of local threats to coral reef habitats.

Combined with recent innovation — a monitoring system capable of detecting coral bleaching in biweekly increments — the Allen Coral Atlas is now the most complete, consistent, accurate and continually updated resource for coral scientists, policymakers and regional planners. To bolster this effort, in October, ASU and the Allen Coral Atlas announced an effort to support expanded coral reef protection by partnering with the Commonwealth of Small Island Nations Secretariat to bring cutting-edge coral-mapping technology to the teams at the forefront of policy action.

“The Commonwealth is home to 45% of the world’s tropical coral reefs, which act as vital reservoirs of marine life and biodiversity, natural sea defenses, and a source of life and livelihood for millions of people. However, they are severely threatened by global warming and other human pressures,” says Paulo Kautoke, senior director for trade, oceans and natural resources at the Commonwealth Secretariat. “This initiative will provide Commonwealth countries with essential geographic data and ecosystem health information to protect and manage their coral reefs in a sustainable manner.”

To push adoption of the Allen Coral Atlas, the Commonwealth Secretariat will soon be launching online training modules for coral managers and technicians in member countries to learn how to use the atlas to map local reefs, study bleaching trends and feed this data into policy and decision-making processes. The Commonwealth’s Charter is implemented through 10 country-driven action groups, each led by a “champion country.” Championed by Australia, Belize and Mauritius, the action group on coral reef protection and restoration include countries such as the Bahamas, Barbados, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom. “By partnering with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Allen Coral Atlas will reach new countries and communities as a resource to generate and scale coral reef protection and management,” says Greg Asner, managing director of the Allen Coral Atlas and director of the Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science. “The true impact will best be achieved as more governments and organizations implement the atlas toolkit in pursuit of long-term reef sustainability, biodiversity protection and the preservation of human livelihoods that depend on the world’s coral reefs.”