Coral Reef Monitoring, Reef Assessment Technologies, and Ecosystem-Based Management

David Obura ,Mishal Gudka,Tadashi Kimura,Mike Jankulak,Natchanon Amornthammarong,Stephen D Simpson,Patricia Miloslavich,Kennedy Osuka,Ward Appeltans,Loke Ming Chou,Danwei Huang,Joshua Levy,Gregor Hodgson,Supin Wongbusarakum,Joe Bishop,Melita Samoilys,Russell E Brainard,Karenne Tun,John C Halas ,Frank E Müller-Karger ,James C Hendee ,Greta S Aeby ,Albert C Jones ,Nicholas J Bax ,Samuel J W Chan ,Pamela J Fletcher ,Lewis J Gramer ,Timothy Gordon

doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00580

Abstract

Coral reefs are exceptionally biodiverse and human dependence on their ecosystem services is high. Reefs experience significant direct and indirect anthropogenic pressures, and provide a sensitive indicator of coastal ocean health, climate change, and ocean acidification, with associated implications for society. Monitoring coral reef status and trends is essential to better inform science, management and policy, but the projected collapse of reef systems within a few decades makes the provision of accurate and actionable monitoring data urgent. The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network has been the foundation for global reporting on coral reefs for two decades, and is entering into a new phase with improved operational and data standards incorporating the Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) (www.goosocean.org/eov) and Framework for Ocean Observing developed by the Global Ocean Observing System. Three EOVs provide a robust description of reef health: hard coral cover and composition, macro-algal canopy cover, and fish diversity and abundance. A data quality model based on comprehensive metadata has been designed to facilitate maximum global coverage of coral reef data, and tangible steps to track capacity building. Improved monitoring of events such as mass bleaching and disease outbreaks, citizen science, and socio-economic monitoring have the potential to greatly improve the relevance of monitoring to managers and stakeholders, and to address the complex and multi-dimensional interactions between reefs and people. A new generation of autonomous vehicles (underwater, surface, and aerial) and satellites are set to revolutionize and vastly expand our understanding of coral reefs. Promising approaches include Structure from Motion image processing, and acoustic techniques. Across all systems, curation of data in linked and open online databases, with an open data culture to maximize benefits from data integration, and empowering users to take action, are priorities. Action in the next decade will be essential to mitigate the impacts on coral reefs from warming temperatures, through local management and informing national and international obligations, particularly in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, climate action, and the role of coral reefs as a global indicator. Mobilizing data to help drive the needed behavior change is a top priority for coral reef observing systems.

Highlights

The Importance of Coral ReefsCoral reefs are exceptionally biodiverse and productive (Snelgrove et al, 2016)
The urgency for these improvements is high, with the very existence of coral reefs threatened by the gap between needed and committed actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the Paris Agreement target of limiting warming to
While these are viewed as aspirational in the Paris Agreement, they are recognized to be necessary to prevent the loss of 90–99% of coral reefs worldwide (Frieler et al, 2013; Heron et al, 2017, 2018)

Summary

Introduction

The Importance of Coral ReefsCoral reefs are exceptionally biodiverse and productive (Snelgrove et al, 2016). To achieve the above by the end of the coming decade in concert with the Sustainable Development Goals and UN Decade on Ocean Science for Sustainability, we identify key areas in which expanded support is urgently needed. Expand the community of people that relate to, feel responsible for, and might invest in coral reefs to include all major actors to support reef recovery.

Results

Conclusion