Coral Islands, Spermonde Archipelago, Southwest Sulawesi, Indonesia
8 June 2011

Note: The area of coverage in this GEOEYE-1 image is approximately 25 km x 25 km.
The reduced resolution image on display has undergone compression and so does not represent the true resolution of the original satellite image.

In the coral islands and reefs that constitute the Spermonde Archipelago, reefs occur at various depths, and locally rise above water to form isolated low islands. The reefs are spacious but the islands are not: some are densely populated while others are completely uninhabited. The local seas and the islands carry valuable marine resources and have fascinating ecosystems. Fishing and supporting reef tourism are the principal economic activities of the area, facilitated by the proximity of Makassar on the main island of Sulawesi. The low islands, in shades of blue and green, resemble a scattering of jewels in the image. Sustenance of marine resources and protection from rising sea levels are crucial in such an environment.