Worldwide Map of Stress to Coral Reefs

Worldwide Map Identifies Important Coral Reefs Exposed to Stress

“Marine researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups have created a map of the world's corals and their exposure to stress factors, including high temperatures, ultra-violet radiation, weather systems, sedimentation, as well as stress-reducing factors such as temperature variability and tidal dynamics, that will help identify coral reef systems where biodiversity is high and stress is low, ecosystems where management has the best chance of success.  

The exposure index ranges from 0-1, with green indicating sites with a low exposure index (most likely to benefit from management), and red indicating sites with a high exposure index (less likely to benefit from management).”  From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110811162835.htm

Thanks, Holly Porter-Morgan, for sending the link and the blurb. 

             For more information about how the exposure index was developed, see the source publication cited below. 

Source publication: Joseph Maina, Tim R. McClanahan, Valentijn Venus, Mebrahtu Ateweberhan, Joshua Madin. Global Gradients of Coral Exposure to Environmental Stresses and Implications for Local Management. PLoS ONE, 2011; 6 (8): e23064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023064