Mapping coral reefs from outer space

How can we save the planet without a proper map?

Despite our best efforts, there's currently no exhaustive, detailed map of the world's coral reef habitats.

Without accurate underwater maps we struggle to design effective marine protected areas, understand how reefs behave, and safely navigate to our favourite fishing and diving sites.

Join us to hear how a team of remote sensing specialists, coral reef ecologists, geomorphologists, citizen science organisations and conservation agencies are working together in an unprecedented collaborative effort to make the first-ever atlas of coral reefs.

Watch the recording

Recording of "Mapping coral reefs from outer space" talk (YouTube, 56m)

Meet the presenter:

Dr Emma Kennedy is a research scientist with expertise in coral reef ecology and climate change, currently working in the Remote Sensing Research Group at the University of Queensland, in a team producing the first-ever global atlas of coral reefs. Growing up in the UK, she learned to dive in a gravel pit outside of London and completed a PhD predicting the future loss of Caribbean coral reefs. In Australia, she has worked on several high-profile research initiatives, including how ocean acidification affects the Great Barrier Reef and locating important coral reef refugia for the global conservation initiative '50 reefs'. Emma is passionate about the underwater world, working as a scuba instructor and writing for BBC Wildlife Magazine. She sits on the scientific advisory panel for citizen science organisation Reef Check Australia, is a Reef Check and Coral Watch volunteer herself, and was highlighted as an emerging leader in the #AusScienceHeroes campaign.