The Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database (CoRTAD) - Global, 4 km, Sea Surface Temperature and Related Thermal Stress Metrics for 1985-2005 (NCEI Accession 0044419)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: January 26, 2026 | Last Modified: 2008-08-08T00:00:00.000+00:00

The Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database (CoRTAD) is a collection of sea surface temperature (SST) and related thermal stress metrics, developed specifically for coral reef ecosystem applications but relevant to other ecosystems as well. The CoRTAD contains global, approximately 4 km resolution SST data on a weekly time scale from 1985 through 2005. In addition to SST, it contains SST anomaly (SSTA, weekly SST minus weekly climatological SST), thermal stress anomaly (TSA, weekly SST minus the maximum weekly climatological SST), SSTA Degree Heating Week (SSTA_DHW, sum of previous 12 weeks when SSTA >= 1 degree C), SSTA Frequency (number of times over previous 52 weeks that SSTA >= 1 degree C), TSA DHW (TSA_DHW, also known as a Degree Heating Week, sum of previous 12 weeks when TSA >= 1 degree C), and TSA Frequency (number of times over previous 52 weeks that TSA >= 1 degree C). The CoRTAD was created at the NOAA National Oceanographic Data Center in partnership with the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, with support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. To provide sea surface temperature data and related thermal stress parameters with good temporal consistency, high accuracy, and fine spatial resolution. The CoRTAD is intended primarily for climate and ecosystem related applications and studies and was designed specifically to address questions concerning the relationship between coral disease and bleaching and temperature stress.

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description	The Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database (CoRTAD) is a collection of sea surface temperature (SST) and related thermal stress metrics, developed specifically for coral reef ecosystem applications but relevant to other ecosystems as well. The CoRTAD contains global, approximately 4 km resolution SST data on a weekly time scale from 1985 through 2005. In addition to SST, it contains SST anomaly (SSTA, weekly SST minus weekly climatological SST), thermal stress anomaly (TSA, weekly SST minus the maximum weekly climatological SST), SSTA Degree Heating Week (SSTA_DHW, sum of previous 12 weeks when SSTA >= 1 degree C), SSTA Frequency (number of times over previous 52 weeks that SSTA >= 1 degree C), TSA DHW (TSA_DHW, also known as a Degree Heating Week, sum of previous 12 weeks when TSA >= 1 degree C), and TSA Frequency (number of times over previous 52 weeks that TSA >= 1 degree C). The CoRTAD was created at the NOAA National Oceanographic Data Center in partnership with the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, with support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. To provide sea surface temperature data and related thermal stress parameters with good temporal consistency, high accuracy, and fine spatial resolution. The CoRTAD is intended primarily for climate and ecosystem related applications and studies and was designed specifically to address questions concerning the relationship between coral disease and bleaching and temperature stress.
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identifier	gov.noaa.nodc:0044419
issued	2008-08-08T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword	[ "0044419", "SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE", "WATER TEMPERATURE", "AVHRR-2", "AVHRR-3", "satellite data", "NOAA-11", "NOAA-14", "NOAA-16", "NOAA-17", "University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill", "US National Oceanographic Data Center", "US National Oceanographic Data Center", "COASTAL", "Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS)", "CORAL REEF STUDIES", "World-Wide Distribution", "oceanography", "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NODC > National Oceanographic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce", "2068", "513", "C047 The Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database", "The Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database", "Numeric Data Sets > Oceanography", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Coastal Habitat", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Water Temperature", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > COASTAL", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF", "EARTH SCIENCE > Climate Indicators", "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE", "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > WATER TEMPERATURE", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs", "AVHRR-2 > Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer-2", "AVHRR-3 > Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer-3", "NOAA-11 > National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration-11", "NOAA-14 > National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration-14", "NOAA-16 > National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration-16", "NOAA-17 > National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration-17", "NOAA-11 (ICES code: 3101, 1988-2004)", "NOAA-14 (ICES code: 3277, 1994-2007)", "NOAA-16 (ICES code: 33J9, 2000-2014)", "NOAA-17 (ICES code: 33ZS, 2002-2013)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Marshall Islands > Marshall Islands > Marshall Islands (09N168E0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Micronesia > Micronesia (07N150E0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Northern Mariana Islands > Northern Mariana Islands ( CNMI ) (18N146E0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Palau > Palau > Palau ( Belau ) (07N134E0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Florida", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Hawaii (21N160W0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Navassa Island > Navassa Island > Navassa Island (18N075W0001)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Texas > West Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0002)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Navassa Island > Navassa Island > Navassa Island (18N075W0001)", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Lesser Antilles > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Gulf of Mexico > Florida", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > North Atlantic Ocean > Florida", "OCEAN BASIN > Indian Ocean", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii > Hawaii (21N160W0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Marshall Islands > Marshall Islands (09N168E0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Carolines > Micronesia (07N150E0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Carolines > Palau ( Belau ) (07N134E0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Mariana Archipelago > Northern Mariana Islands ( CNMI ) (18N146E0000)", "GEOGRAPHIC REGION > GLOBAL OCEAN" ]
landingPage	https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language	[]
license	https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified	2008-08-08T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher	{ "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information", "@type": "org:Organization" }
references	[ "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2009.00522.x", "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/avhrr-pathfinder-sst" ]
rights	otherRestrictions
spatial	180.0,-90.0,-180.0,90.0
temporal	1985-01-01T00:00:00+00:00/2005-12-31T00:00:00+00:00
title	The Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database (CoRTAD) - Global, 4 km, Sea Surface Temperature and Related Thermal Stress Metrics for 1985-2005 (NCEI Accession 0044419)