HF Ocean Surface Radar Monitoring for Coral Bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef

HF ocean surface radar provides a valuable multi-parameter monitoring technique for the investigation and management of coral bleaching. The physical parameters normally associated with bleaching are temperature and light, which are primarily controlled by insolation, wind, waves and currents. The radar provides a useful monitoring of wind and waves, and is the leading technology for monitoring surface currents. The deployment of an HF radar in the Great Barrier Reef at the Heron Island study area provides ideal infrastructure for the study of the physical processes which affect coral bleaching and the spread of coral disease.