The US space agency is taking images of the Great Barrier Reef from 8.5 kilometres up in a specially equipped jet to gain a better understanding of what humans are doing to the largest living thing on Earth.

Using a state-of-the-art sensor that allows scientists to effectively build a naked map of the reef, with the atmosphere and water removed, the NASA-led project is part of the biggest survey ever conducted of the world's coral reefs.

A NASA-led project is surveying the Great Barrier Reef using a cutting-edge sensor to give a clearer picture of its health. Credit:NASA-JPL/BIOS

The images taken above six sections of the reef will be analysed at NASA's jet propulsion laboratory in California, giving a picture of how much is covered by coral, algae and sand