Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
As El Niño strengthens across the tropical Pacific, scientists are watching for the marine heat waves and coral bleaching that can accompany changes in ocean temperatures.
In Majuro, Marshall Islands, some reef communities remain healthy and diverse despite repeated marine heat waves and other local stressors. Through the Super Reefs initiative, WHOI and its partners are investigating what enables these reefs to persist by combining coral records, oceanographic models, field observations, benthic surveys, and heat-stress studies.
At the time of filming, researchers were monitoring El Niño conditions to help determine when a new heat wave might reach the Marshall Islands—and when the team should return to the reefs to collect critical observations.
In 2024 and 2025, the team deployed Yellowfin, a portable robotic vehicle designed to survey shallow coral reefs without disturbing the ecosystem. Yellowfin uses cameras, sonar, GPS, and environmental sensors to collect extensive imagery and data, helping researchers study reef communities and the conditions in which they persist.
By identifying reefs that remain healthy through heat stress and studying the environmental factors associated with their resilience, the Super Reefs project aims to inform future decisions about reef protection and restoration.
Project: Super Reefs
Location: Majuro, Marshall Islands
Partners: Sherwood Tibon and Bokanbotin Island, National Science Foundation (NSF)
Learn more:
Super Reefs: https://superreefs.whoi.edu/
Corals: https://www.whoi.edu/ocean-learning-hub/ocean-topics/ocean-life/coral/
El Niño: https://www.whoi.edu/ocean-learning-hub/ocean-topics/how-the-ocean-works/ocean-circulation/el-nino/
#ElNino #SuperReefs #CoralReefs #CoralBleaching #MarineHeatWaves #OceanScience #MarshallIslands #WoodsHoleOceanographicInstitution
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
As El Niño strengthens across the tropical Pacific, scientists are watching for the marine heat waves and coral bleaching that can accompany changes in ocean temperatures.
In Majuro, Marshall Islands, some reef communities remain healthy and diverse despite repeated marine heat waves and other local stressors. Through the Super Reefs initiative, WHOI and its partners are investigating what enables these reefs to persist by combining coral records, oceanographic models, field observations, benthic surveys, and heat-stress studies.
At the time of filming, researchers were monitoring El Niño conditions to help determine when a new heat wave might reach the Marshall Islands—and when the team should return to the reefs to collect critical observations.
In 2024 and 2025, the team deployed Yellowfin, a portable robotic vehicle designed to survey shallow coral reefs without disturbing the ecosystem. Yellowfin uses cameras, sonar, GPS, and environmental sensors to collect extensive imagery and data, helping researchers study reef communities and the conditions in which they persist.
By identifying reefs that remain healthy through heat stress and studying the environmental factors associated with their resilience, the Super Reefs project aims to inform future decisions about reef protection and restoration.
Project: Super Reefs
Location: Majuro, Marshall Islands
Partners: Sherwood Tibon and Bokanbotin Island, National Science Foundation (NSF)
Learn more:
Super Reefs: https://superreefs.whoi.edu/
Corals: https://www.whoi.edu/ocean-learning-hub/ocean-topics/ocean-life/coral/
El Niño: https://www.whoi.edu/ocean-learning-hub/ocean-topics/how-the-ocean-works/ocean-circulation/el-nino/
#ElNino #SuperReefs #CoralReefs #CoralBleaching #MarineHeatWaves #OceanScience #MarshallIslands #WoodsHoleOceanographicInstitution
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
