Exploring the coral reefs and studying their inhabitants and plant life is one focus of oceanographers, conservationists and others.

But in recent years, we’ve heard about the dangers the coral reefs are facing — from bleaching to coastal development to rising sea temperatures.

So what can be done to know more about what’s affecting the reefs and, maybe, how to protect them?

A group of scientists and organizations has come together to produce a global monitoring system to detect physical changes in coral on a regular basis.

Greg Asner is a staff scientist at the Carnegie Institute for Science, one of the partners involved in the global monitoring system, and he came on The Show to explain the project.