Beginning April 15, residents of the Marianas Archipelago may see a 231-foot white research vessel offshore. It’s there to help address the decline of coral reefs in the region.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on average, half of the region’s coral has been lost over the last two decades.
To better understand why, NOAA scientists and crew will scuba dive to record information on corals, fish and ocean conditions as part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP).
This year will mark the 9th time scientific divers return to the Marianas to continue long-term monitoring efforts.
“These surveys are non-invasive, and do not involve taking any marine life,” NOAA said in a media statement. “The information collected will be shared and used to improve scientists’ and resource managers' understanding of the islands' coral reefs.”
The research cruise is expected to last until June 2025.
The Pacific NCRMP last visited Guam and CNMI in 2022 to “monitor fish and seafloor communities” and collected bathymetric data.
