Average turbidity within and beyond the Oceanic Shoals CMR

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water caused by suspended particles (so small that they are usually invisible to the naked eye) that limit the transmission of light through the water. Consequently, high turbidity can harm organisms dependant on light for photosynthesis, such as the zooxanthallae that colonise coral reefs.

Turbidity can be measured in situ for single locations of interest using turbidity meters or for large regions at a time using satellite data (SeaWifs and MODIS). Ground truth data is needed to determine how to translate the satellite data to turbidity estimates.

Use the interactive map below to view mean turbidity levels as measured by SeaWifs within and beyond the Oceanic Shoals CMR. The lowest turbidity (and highest water clarity) is shown in blue and the highest turbidity (and lowest water clarity) is shown in red.

How to use the map

	Click on this icon at the top left of the map to see a full screen version.
	Click on this icon also at the top left of the map to zoom in closer to (+) or further from (-) the map.