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HONOLULU (AP) — Alongside the lush and steep windward coast of the Hawaii island of Oahu researchers are creating images of coral reefs that are in danger of dying because of warm ocean waters.
XL Catlin Seaview Survey team is taking high-definition 360-degree panoramic images of the reefs and using them to monitor and study the health of corals over time. Scientists working with the team say they are concerned about how much coral off the coast of Hawaii is already beginning to bleach.
Coral bleaching occurs when ocean water temperatures rise and cause the coral to lose key nutrients, turning the normally colorful organism white.
The reef mapping is part of a larger project by researchers to make thousands of images of reef around the world.
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