monitoring of coral reefs and potential for application of sumare tools

UNEP Coral Reef UnitDivision of Environmental Conventionsc/o UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centrehttp://corals.unep.org

Monitoring of coral reefs and potential for

application of SUMARE tools

Emily Corcoran

Bora BoraTruchet /UNEP /Still Pictures


UNEP Coral Reef Unit (CRU)Established December 2000 within UNEP to help lead international efforts to save the world's threatened coral reefs

Provides policy link between UNEP-WCMC, ICRI & operational networks

Re-located May 2003 to the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), Cambridge / UK

Works alongside UNEP-WCMC's Marine and Coastal Programme, the ICRAN Co-ordination Unit and the ICRI Secretariat


Work of UNEP-CRU• 1.5 person team, headed by Dr Stefan Hain

• International coral reef policy support to on the ground needs

• Remit stipulated by UNEP GC

• Reaches out to other agencies and MEAs

• Supports a range of coral reef activities (tropical and deep/cold water)

• Partner and funder of GCRMN


Tropical Coral Reef Facts (i)

Coral reefs cover 284,000km2 world wide

0-50m deep

More than one million species (=25%) of marine life and biodiversity depend on coral reefs and associated shallow water ecosystems


Tropical Coral Reef Facts (ii)Livelihood of one billion people depends on coral reefs.

Coral reefs account for 25%of the global fish catch.

Physical existence, social, economic and even political stability of many small countries and island states isintrinsically linked to coral reefs

Coral reefs provide each year aboutUS$30 billion in net benefits to world economies.


Monitoring Coral Reefs

Why - major objectives for current monitoring

What - are the different aspects of the coral reef ecosystem that we need to look at?

How – the methods currently available


WhyObjectives for monitoring reefs

• Provide statistically rigorous information for science and management

• To look at spatial and temporal patterns in coral reef habitats

• Specific objectives depends on who the information is for– Resource users– Reef managers– Scientists– International policy makers


What needs monitoring?

• Distribution of coral• Patterns Biodiversity• Reef and ecosystem condition• Seasonality• Threats

Monitored over time and space


Above water (remote)

On the water

Below waterAutonomous under water

vehicles

Aerial photography

Satellite

Boats

Diver operated


Considerations for Method Selection

• Resolution

• Replicability

• Reliability

• Site location and characteristics

• Available time / resources / capacity (human, financial, institutional)

• Effort Vs Accuracy


Costsfrom CRAMP Hawaii (Brown et al. 1999)• Digital video transect* set up $5,400• 6 divers for 10 transects at 2 depths – from

$2100-4300 per day*• Quadrat surveys $0.01/ data point after 100

surveys• Photo quadrat* $0.21/ data point after 100

surveys


Potential applications for SUMARE

• Medium scale monitoring

• Conditions/depths not suitable for divers

• Sea bed mapping

• Surveying cold/deepwater reefs?

• Distinguishing between live/dead coral?

• Questions


Some questions to considerPracticalities• What is the angle and depth of the sensors

(effective distance to the object and aperture• What tools can be employed? (which

parameters could it be used to measure)?• To what depth can it be used?• Are there applications that can distinguish

between live and dead substrates• Would the rugosity of coral reefs confuse the

AUV (given the complexity of the contours)


Costs• What is the life expectancy of the apparatus? • Cost over 10/ 50/ 100 Surveys

Post collection analysis• How is data archived• How complex is the analysis of data?• What are the maintenance and training

requirements?


Future directions?

• Further evaluation for potential coral reef applications – contact point for SUMARE?

• Putting the tools to the test– Tropical reefs?– Cold/deep water reefs?


Thank you for your attention


Considerations and constraints

• Costs • Accuracy• Site accessibility • Site conditions• Diver dependency• Capacity (human, institutional, financial)

TRADE OFFS


What to monitor

• 5 areas of coral reef monitoring– The benthos– Population ecology– Reef biodiversity– Pollutants and anthropogenic impacts– Community interactions


QuestionsTo be competitive, any method must be robust and

easily used

What are the next steps from here - further discussions with CRU?

Putting SUMARE tools to the test - tropical reefs/ cold/deepwater reefs

Emily CorcoranApplication to coral reef monitoring


The role for new technologies

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monitoring of coral reefs and potential for application of sumare tools

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