Coral reef scientists and managers are increasingly relying on remote sensing data to provide information on biophysical processes of reefs and to help identify optimum management strategies for reef resources. For these users, we provide some guidelines to identify which remote sensing tools and data should be used to address coral reef research and management questions. We additionally discuss: opportunities to reconcile the sometimes conflicting needs of producers and users of coral reef information; data requirements and limitations for specific coral reef management applications; and trade-offs between production costs and accuracy of coral reef remote sensing data products. Finally, we provide several in-depth examples of current uses of remote sensing data to: provide resources inventories for prioritizing areas for management; develop spatially explicit models of reef fish assemblage characteristics; and monitor and respond to threats (e.g., from terrestrial runoff, crown-of-thorns outbreaks, oil spills and ship groundings). Throughout, we emphasize ways that remote sensing can be cost-effectively integrated within coral reef management programs to improve the quality of information on which management decisions are based.