New Caledonian Reefs – May 29, 2022
This water is baby blue thanks to the shallow reefs in the southern coast of New Caledonia, a French territory located 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) to Australia’s east. This image of the reefs was taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station on September 9, 2020, and it was shared as Image of the Day nearly two years later on May 29, 2022. 9,300 marine species call the reefs of New Caledonia home according to Pew Charitable Trusts, and in April 2014, the Natural Park of the Coral Sea was established covering 1.3 million square kilometers (501, 930 square miles).
