Near Real-time Validation of Satellite Sea Surface Temperature Products at Rainbow Gardens Reef, Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch program is installing in situ monitoring stations at strategic coral reef areas for purposes of establishing long-term data sets, providing near real-time information products, and surface-truthing NOAA satellite sea surface temperature (SST) products used for coral bleaching predictions ("HotSpots"). The suite of stations, which transmit data hourly, together with custom artificial intelligence software that analyzes the data, is called the Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS) network. At each CREWS station local maintenance and calibration of the sea temperature sensor ensures high quality data. Local collaborators also provide feedback on the presence and progress of coral bleaching and thus validate coral bleaching predictions made by HotSpot and CREWS information products. Near Rainbow Gardens Reef, where the first CREWS station was installed, additional in situ data loggers were deployed to compare with CREWS and satellite SST data for both the relatively shallow Great Bahama Bank and much deeper Exuma Sound. During summer, 2001, CREWS successfully transmitted daily email satellite SST and in situ temperature comparisons, which showed good agreement. Logger data were used to validate and interpret the satellite SST and CREWS station readings.