Scorpion Reef in the Gulf of Mexico

Scorpion Reef in the Gulf of Mexico Today’s Image of the Day comes thanks to the NASA Earth Observatory and features a look at Arrecife Alacranes, otherwise known as the Scorpion reef of the southern Gulf of Mexico.

This image was taken by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8.

Scorpion Reef is located about 60 miles north of Progresso, Mexico and consists of five small islands. Together, however, they comprise the largest coral structure in the southern Gulf.
In 2006, the reef was named an official UNESCO biosphere reserve.Scorpion Reef is a reef surrounding a small group of islands in the Gulf of Mexico off the northern coast of the state of Yucatán, Mexico. Designated a national park, the reef is part of the Campeche Bank archipelago and is the largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico. It contains the five main vegetated islands of Isla Pérez, Isla Desertora, Isla Pájaros, Isla Chica, and Isla Desterrada. Isla Pérez is the only inhabited island and includes a lighthouse. The reef, including its islets and surrounding waters, has been recognised as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports a population of magnificent frigatebirds.

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By Rory Arnold, Earth.com

Source: NASA Earth Observatory