Coral reef structural complexity

AccessScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Structural Complexity

scholarly journals Using virtual reality to estimate aesthetic values of coral reefs

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 172226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Vercelloni ◽  
Sam Clifford ◽  
M. Julian Caley ◽  
Alan R. Pearse ◽  
Ross Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Aesthetic Value ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Holistic Conservation ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
Aesthetic Values

Aesthetic value, or beauty, is important to the relationship between humans and natural environments and is, therefore, a fundamental socio-economic attribute of conservation alongside other ecosystem services. However, beauty is difficult to quantify and is not estimated well using traditional approaches to monitoring coral-reef aesthetics. To improve the estimation of ecosystem aesthetic values, we developed and implemented a novel framework used to quantify features of coral-reef aesthetics based on people's perceptions of beauty. Three observer groups with different experience to reef environments (Marine Scientist, Experienced Diver and Citizen) were virtually immersed in Australian's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) using 360° images. Perceptions of beauty and observations were used to assess the importance of eight potential attributes of reef-aesthetic value. Among these, heterogeneity, defined by structural complexity and colour diversity, was positively associated with coral-reef-aesthetic values. There were no group-level differences in the way the observer groups perceived reef aesthetics suggesting that past experiences with coral reefs do not necessarily influence the perception of beauty by the observer. The framework developed here provides a generic tool to help identify indicators of aesthetic value applicable to a wide variety of natural systems. The ability to estimate aesthetic values robustly adds an important dimension to the holistic conservation of the GBR, coral reefs worldwide and other natural ecosystems.

scholarly journals Using 3D photogrammetry from ROV video to quantify cold-water coral reef structural complexity and investigate its influence on biodiversity and community assemblage

Coral Reefs ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1007-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Price ◽  
Katleen Robert ◽  
Alexander Callaway ◽  
Claudio Lo lacono ◽  
Rob A. Hall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Community Assemblage ◽  
3D Photogrammetry ◽  
Water Coral

scholarly journals Linking fishes to multiple metrics of coral reef structural complexity using three-dimensional technology

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. González-Rivero ◽  
A. R. Harborne ◽  
A. Herrera-Reveles ◽  
Y.-M. Bozec ◽  
A. Rogers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Multiple Metrics

Structural complexity enhancement as a potential coral-reef restoration tool

2019 ◽  
Vol 132 ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Yanovski ◽  
Avigdor Abelson
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Reef Restoration

scholarly journals Spatial Patterns in Herbivory on a Coral Reef Are Influenced by Structural Complexity but Not by Algal Traits

PLoS ONE ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. e17115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Vergés ◽  
Mathew A. Vanderklift ◽  
Christopher Doropoulos ◽  
Glenn A. Hyndes
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Structural Complexity

scholarly journals Vulnerability of Coral Reef Fisheries to a Loss of Structural Complexity

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1000-1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Rogers ◽  
Julia L. Blanchard ◽  
Peter J. Mumby
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Coral Reef Fisheries

scholarly journals Which Method for Which Purpose? A Comparison of Line Intercept Transect and Underwater Photogrammetry Methods for Coral Reef Surveys

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Urbina-Barreto ◽  
Rémi Garnier ◽  
Simon Elise ◽  
Romain Pinel ◽  
Pascal Dumas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Ecological Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Methods ◽  
Outer Reef ◽  
Scientific Outputs ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Line Intercept

The choice of ecological monitoring methods and descriptors determines the effectiveness of a program designed to assess the state of coral reef ecosystems. Here, we comparer the relative performance of the traditional Line Intercept Transect (LIT) method with three methods derived from underwater photogrammetry: LIT on orthomosaics, photoquadrats from orthomosaics, and surface analyses on orthomosaics. The data were acquired at Reunion Island on five outer reef slopes and two coral communities on underwater lava-flows. Coral cover was estimated in situ using the LIT method and with LITs and photoquadrats digitized on orthomosaic. Surface analyses were done on the same orthomosaics. Structural complexity of the surveyed sites was calculated from digital elevation models using three physical descriptors (fractal dimension, slope, surface complexity), and used to explore their possible influence in coral cover estimates. We also compared the methods in terms of scientific outputs, the human expertise and time required. Coral cover estimates obtained with in situ LITs were higher than those obtained with digitized LITs and photoquadrats. Surfaces analyses on orthomosaics yielded the lowest but most the precise cover estimates (i.e., lowest sample dispersion). Sites with the highest coral cover also had the highest structural complexity. Finally, when we added scientific outputs, and requirements for human expertise and time to our comparisons between methods, we found that surface analysis on the orthomosaics was the most efficient method. Photoquadrats were more time-consuming than both in situ and digitized LITs, even though they provided coral cover estimates similar to those of digitized LITs and yielded more than one descriptor. The LIT in situ method remains the least time-consuming and most effective for species-level taxonomic identifications but is the most limited method in terms of data outputs and representativeness of the ecosystem.

scholarly journals 3D HABITAT COMPLEXITY OF CORAL REEFS IN THE NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS IS DRIVEN BY CORAL ASSEMBLAGE STRUCTURE

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-2/W10 ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. R. Burns ◽  
A. Fukunaga ◽  
K. H. Pascoe ◽  
A. Runyan ◽  
B. K. Craig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Assemblage Structure ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Coral Assemblage

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Corals act as ecosystem engineers by secreting structurally complex calcium carbonate skeletons on the benthic substrate that provide habitat for a diverse array of associated reef organisms. Communities of living corals create large and dynamic benthic structures that directly affect ecological parameters such as habitat provisioning and light availability, thus influencing overall ecosystem function. Despite the important role 3D structural complexity plays in ecosystem biodiversity and productivity, the field of coral ecology has lacked accessibility to practical technology capable of quantifying 3D characteristics of underwater habitats. Advancements in the field of computer vision has led to Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry, which provides a simple and cost-effective method for creating high-resolution and spatially accurate 3D reconstructions of natural environments. Integrating SfM approaches into coral reef research and monitoring has provided useful insight into the relationship between 3D habitat complexity and ecological processes. In this study, we examined the relationships among 2D estimates of live coral cover and several metrics of 3D habitat structural complexity among eleven long-term monitoring sites at French Frigate Shoals. Our findings show that coral assemblage structure acts as a significant driver of 3D structural complexity of coral reef habitats at this atoll. This study highlights the importance of diverse and abundant coral assemblages in supporting structurally complex coral reef habitats and provides a framework for future investigations into the ecological role of various coral morphotypes.</p>

scholarly journals Predation Risk, Resource Quality, and Reef Structural Complexity Shape Territoriality in a Coral Reef Herbivore

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e0118764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura B. Catano ◽  
Bridgette K. Gunn ◽  
Megan C. Kelley ◽  
Deron E. Burkepile
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Resource Quality
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