scholarly journals Comparison of Standard Caribbean Coral Reef Monitoring Protocols and Underwater Digital Photogrammetry to Characterize Hard Coral Species Composition, Abundance and Cover

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erick Barrera-Falcon ◽  
Rodolfo Rioja-Nieto ◽  
Roberto C. Hernández-Landa ◽  
Edgar Torres-Irineo
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Coral Community ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Digital Photogrammetry ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Caribbean Coral Reef ◽  
Monitoring Protocols

The precise assessing and monitoring of coral reefs are necessary to address and understand the threats and changes in coral communities. With the development of new technologies and algorithms for image processing, new protocols like underwater photogrammetry are implemented to study these ecosystems. This study compares the main ecological metrics for reef condition assessment, obtained with an underwater digital photogrammetry protocol (UWP) and traditional sampling design simulations in coral reefs of the Cozumel Reefs National Park. Three orthomosaics (380 m2) per reef on six fringing reefs were constructed, and the hard coral community characterized using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The orthomosaics were also used as a basis to simulate transect lines and obtain data on the hard coral community according to the video transect (VT) protocol, point intercept (PIT) protocol, and the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) protocol. Higher colony abundance, species richness, and lower coral cover estimates (p < 0.05) were obtained with the UWP. This protocol was also sensitive to small sized species. All the sampling designs showed similar capability to identify dominant species in terms of colony abundance and coral cover. The VT, PIT, and AGGRA showed similar coral cover values (p > 0.05), which seems to indicate that these sampling designs overestimate this important metric. Our results will help to understand and integrate the observations obtained with UWP with long-term data obtained with commonly used monitoring protocols in the Caribbean region.

scholarly journals Condición de los arrecifes coralinos del Parque Nacional Guanahacabibes, Cuba

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Perera Valderrama ◽  
Pedro M. Alcolado ◽  
Hansel Caballero Aragón ◽  
Elena De la Guardia Llansó ◽  
Dorka Cobián Rojas
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Degradation Process ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Maximum Diameter ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Porites Astreoides ◽  
Montastraea Faveolata ◽  
Condition Indicators ◽  
Coral Communities

En el 2007 se evaluó el estado de salud de los arrecifes coralinos del Parque Nacional Guanahacabibes, Cuba, sobre la base de la condición de las comunidades de corales. Se analizaron indicadores de condición de los corales escleractinios (diámetro máximo, riqueza de especies, enfermedades y mortalidad) a distintas profundidades, en 13 estaciones con diferentes niveles de exposición a los principales fenómenos océano-atmosféricos generadores de oleaje en el área (vientos nortes, sures y alisios). Se identificaron 42 especies de corales pétreos. Las más abundantes fueron: Siderastrea siderea, Montastraea faveolata, Agaricia agaricites y Porites astreoides. El promedio de cobertura de coral vivo varió entre 4.8% y 31.2%, con un promedio general de 17%. El análisis integrado de todos los indicadores de condición de las comunidades de corales sugirió la existencia de dos áreas diferenciadas según la exposición a los vientos y el consecuente efecto del oleaje y los sedimentos. La primera área abarcó el este de la Bahía de Corrientes (entre Uvero Quemado y Cuevas de Pedro), la más resguardada, y donde los indicadores biológicos sugieren un ambiente más favorable. La segunda comprendió la parte occidental más expuesta (entre Veral y Faro Roncali), que presentó la mayor cobertura relativa del conjunto de especies resistentes a la sedimentación, especialmente en 10 y 15 m de profundidad. Estos resultados indican que los arrecifes del Parque Nacional Guanahacabibes no escapan del proceso de degradación que afrontan la mayoría de los arrecifes de la región del Caribe.AbstractIn 2007, a health assessment of coral reefs in the Guanahacabibes National Park, Cuba, was conducted based onthe condition of coral communities. Coral condition indicators (maximum diameter, species richness, diseases andmortality) were evaluated, at different depths in 13 sites with varying exposure levels to the main ocean-atmosphericphenomena that generate waves in the area (north, south and trade winds). Forty two species of stony corals wereidentified. The most abundant species were Siderastrea siderea, Montastraea faveolata, Agaricia agaricites and Porites astreoides. The average coral cover varied between 4.8% and 31.2%, with a general average of 17%. Theintegrated analysis of all condition indicators of coral communities suggested the existence of two distinctive areasaccording to wind exposure and the consequent effect of both waves and sediments. The first area, covering east ofBahía de Corrientes (between Uvero Quemado and Cuevas de Pedro), was more protected and had a more favorableenvironment, as suggested by the biological indicators. The second area was comprised of the western part,was more exposed (between Veral and Faro Roncali), and showed the highest relative cover of species resistant tosedimentation, especially at 10 and 15 m deep. These results indicate that coral reefs at the Guanahacabibes NationalPark do not escape from the degradation process faced by most coral reefs in the Caribbean region.

scholarly journals Coral reefs in the Gilbert Islands of Kiribati: Resistance, resilience, and recovery after more than a decade of multiple stressors

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255304
Author(s):  
Sara E. Cannon ◽  
Erietera Aram ◽  
Toaea Beiateuea ◽  
Aranteiti Kiareti ◽  
Max Peter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Phase Shift ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Coral Bleaching ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Turf Algae ◽  
The World ◽  
Coral Communities

Coral reefs are increasingly affected by a combination of acute and chronic disturbances from climate change and local stressors. The coral reefs of the Republic of Kiribati’s Gilbert Islands are exposed to frequent heat stress caused by central-Pacific type El Niño events, and may provide a glimpse into the future of coral reefs in other parts of the world, where the frequency of heat stress events will likely increase due to climate change. Reefs in the Gilbert Islands experienced a series of acute disturbances over the past fifteen years, including mass coral bleaching in 2004–2005 and 2009–2010, and an outbreak of the corallivorous sea star Acanthaster cf solaris, or Crown-of-Thorns (CoTs), in 2014. The local chronic pressures including nutrient loading, sedimentation and fishing vary within the island chain, with highest pressures on the reefs in urbanized South Tarawa Atoll. In this study, we examine how recovery from acute disturbances differs across a gradient of human influence in neighboring Tarawa and Abaiang Atolls from 2012 through 2018. Benthic cover and size frequency data suggests that local coral communities have adjusted to the heat stress via shifts in the community composition to more temperature-tolerant taxa and individuals. In densely populated South Tarawa, we document a phase shift to the weedy and less bleaching-sensitive coral Porites rus, which accounted for 81% of all coral cover by 2018. By contrast, in less populated Abaiang, coral communities remained comparatively more diverse (with higher percentages of Pocillopora and the octocoral Heliopora) after the disturbances, but reefs had lower overall hard coral cover (18%) and were dominated by turf algae (41%). The CoTs outbreak caused a decline in the cover and mean size of massive Porites, the only taxa that was a ‘winner’ of the coral bleaching events in Abaiang. Although there are signs of recovery, the long-term trajectory of the benthic communities in Abaiang is not yet clear. We suggest three scenarios: they may remain in their current state (dominated by turf algae), undergo a phase shift to dominance by the macroalgae Halimeda, or recover to dominance by thermally tolerant hard coral genera. These findings provide a rare glimpse at the future of coral reefs around the world and the ways they may be affected by climate change, which may allow scientists to better predict how other reefs will respond to increasing heat stress events across gradients of local human disturbance.

scholarly journals Condición de los arrecifes coralinos del Parque Nacional Guanahacabibes, Cuba

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana Perera Valderrama ◽  
Pedro M. Alcolado ◽  
Hansel Caballero Aragón ◽  
Elena De la Guardia Llansó ◽  
Dorka Cobián Rojas
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Degradation Process ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Maximum Diameter ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Porites Astreoides ◽  
Montastraea Faveolata ◽  
Condition Indicators ◽  
Coral Communities

En el 2007 se evaluó el estado de salud de los arrecifes coralinos del Parque Nacional Guanahacabibes, Cuba, sobre la base de la condición de las comunidades de corales. Se analizaron indicadores de condición de los corales escleractinios (diámetro máximo, riqueza de especies, enfermedades y mortalidad) a distintas profundidades, en 13 estaciones con diferentes niveles de exposición a los principales fenómenos océano-atmosféricos generadores de oleaje en el área (vientos nortes, sures y alisios). Se identificaron 42 especies de corales pétreos. Las más abundantes fueron: Siderastrea siderea, Montastraea faveolata, Agaricia agaricites y Porites astreoides. El promedio de cobertura de coral vivo varió entre 4.8% y 31.2%, con un promedio general de 17%. El análisis integrado de todos los indicadores de condición de las comunidades de corales sugirió la existencia de dos áreas diferenciadas según la exposición a los vientos y el consecuente efecto del oleaje y los sedimentos. La primera área abarcó el este de la Bahía de Corrientes (entre Uvero Quemado y Cuevas de Pedro), la más resguardada, y donde los indicadores biológicos sugieren un ambiente más favorable. La segunda comprendió la parte occidental más expuesta (entre Veral y Faro Roncali), que presentó la mayor cobertura relativa del conjunto de especies resistentes a la sedimentación, especialmente en 10 y 15 m de profundidad. Estos resultados indican que los arrecifes del Parque Nacional Guanahacabibes no escapan del proceso de degradación que afrontan la mayoría de los arrecifes de la región del Caribe.AbstractIn 2007, a health assessment of coral reefs in the Guanahacabibes National Park, Cuba, was conducted based onthe condition of coral communities. Coral condition indicators (maximum diameter, species richness, diseases andmortality) were evaluated, at different depths in 13 sites with varying exposure levels to the main ocean-atmosphericphenomena that generate waves in the area (north, south and trade winds). Forty two species of stony corals wereidentified. The most abundant species were Siderastrea siderea, Montastraea faveolata, Agaricia agaricites and Porites astreoides. The average coral cover varied between 4.8% and 31.2%, with a general average of 17%. Theintegrated analysis of all condition indicators of coral communities suggested the existence of two distinctive areasaccording to wind exposure and the consequent effect of both waves and sediments. The first area, covering east ofBahía de Corrientes (between Uvero Quemado and Cuevas de Pedro), was more protected and had a more favorableenvironment, as suggested by the biological indicators. The second area was comprised of the western part,was more exposed (between Veral and Faro Roncali), and showed the highest relative cover of species resistant tosedimentation, especially at 10 and 15 m deep. These results indicate that coral reefs at the Guanahacabibes NationalPark do not escape from the degradation process faced by most coral reefs in the Caribbean region.

scholarly journals New Scales to Guide the Assessment of Hard Coral Cover and Diversity in the Philippines

2020 ◽  
pp. 121-126
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Rapid Identification ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Hard Coral Cover ◽  
Assessment Scales

Coral reefs supply vital ecosystem services to the Philippines. Safeguarding these services requires the rapid identification of reefs that provide most services, and identification is best made by measuring hard coral cover and diversity and using updated and locally relevant assessment scales on these measurements. The use of these assessment scales has advantages and is recommended to update and improve Philippine laws.

scholarly journals Coral communities condition in varying wave exposure: the gulf of Cazones, Cuba

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hansel Caballero Aragon ◽  
Pedro M Alcolado ◽  
Néstor Rey-Villiers ◽  
Susana Perera Valderrama ◽  
Juliett González Méndez
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Coral Community ◽  
Wave Exposure ◽  
Maximum Diameter ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Coral Mortality ◽  
Coral Communities

Wave exposure can influence community structure and distribution of shallow coral reefs, by affecting organisms both directly and indirectly. To assess the current stony coral community condition under different degrees of wave exposure at a marine protected area of the Gulf of Cazones (SW Cuba), two expeditions were carried out in May 2010 and June 2012. Four sampling sites were sampled at reef crests (1.5 m deep), and twelve at fore-reefs, at 10, 15 and 20 m deep in four geographic locations. Live coral cover, species richness and composition, colony density, and maximum diameter were assessed using the AGRRA 2001 methodology. Multivariate and non-parametric statistics were applied to compare sites. The coral community structure within reef crests was not homogenous. The observed variability of indicators apparently was determined by great coral mortality events resulting from natural disturbances that occurred in the past (hurricanes, bleaching and diseases). Fore-reef coral communities displayed better condition and lower coral mortality than reef crests. Species richness and coral composition varied, while multivariate and statistical methods did not reveal site grouping with regard to wave exposure. The remaining biological condition indicators were similar among sites, except in the most exposed one, where coral cover and coral size were slightly lower. Wave exposure in the gulf of Cazones seemed not to have a significant influence on differences in condition and structure of the assessed coral communities.

scholarly journals Coral Reef Degradation Due to ‘Ship Grounding’ in Indonesia: Case Study of Ship Aground in Bangka-Belitung Waters by Mother Vessel MV Lyric Poet

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
Idris Idris ◽  
Neviaty P. Zamani ◽  
Suharsono Suharsono ◽  
Fakhrurrozi Fakhrurrozi
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Coral Species ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Lyric Poet ◽  
Ship Grounding

HighlightDamage to coral reefs by ship aground is twice the area of a football fieldFound four zones of damage including runoff, dune, blow and dispersalMortality of live coral and other benthic biota ranges from 75-100% in the affected locationThe form of damaged live coral growth is predominantly slow growing.Eight hard coral species were found on the IUCN-Redlist list with a vulnerable status.AbstractShip grounding on coral reefs often results in physical and biological damage, including dislodging and removal of corals from reefs, destruction of coral skeletons, erosion and removal of sediment deposits, and loss of three-dimensional complexity. Indonesia, as an archipelagic country, is very vulnerable to various pressures; for example, the case of ship grounding is a great concern of scientists, managers, divers, and sailors themselves. Most of the damage is very severe. The purpose of the research conducted is to identify the condition of the live coral cover, mapping the type and extent of coral reef damage, affected coral species, their conservation status, and to quantify the extent of the area of coral reef damage. Measuring the extent of damage to coral reef ecosystems using the fishbone method, while the level of damage and its impact was measured using the Underwater Photo Transect (UPT) and belt transect method. The event of the grounding of the MV Lyric Poet on the Bangka Waters, Bangka-Belitung Province, has caused damage to the coral reef ecosystem. There are four damage zones identified, i.e., trajectory, mound, propeller, and dispersion zone. Corals are damaged with a total area of 13.540m2; equivalent to twice that of an international football field. Diversity of hard coral found as many as 49 species included in the CITES-Appendix II. A total of eight protected species are included in the IUCN Red List with extinction-prone status.

The coral communities of Yongle atoll: status, threats and conservation significance for coral reefs in South China Sea

2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (12) ◽  
pp. 1888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meixia Zhao ◽  
Kefu Yu ◽  
Qi Shi ◽  
Hongqiang Yang ◽  
Bernhard Riegl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
South China ◽  
Reef Flat ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Reef Slope ◽  
Xisha Islands ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Coral Communities

Xisha Islands are in the central South China Sea and form one of the four large island groups in this region. They include more than 40 islands, reefs and cays, and have considerable ecological and biodiversity value, both intrinsically and as a source of larvae for coastal ecosystems throughout the South China Sea. Yongle atoll is the biggest and one of the most important atolls in the Xisha Islands. The detailed surveys of the marine habitats in the Yongle atoll were conducted from June to July 2013. This baseline survey revealed coral communities in a relatively healthy condition. Mean coral cover of different geomorphic habitats varied from 2 to 29%. Branching corals were most important, followed by encrusting and massive growth forms (48, 29 and 17% of coral cover). Pocillopora (29% of total cover in line transects), Porites (19%), Acropora (17%) and Montipora (16%) were the four dominant genera. Communities differentiated into four clusters, namely, lower reef slope, upper reef slope, outer reef flat, and inner reef flat and lagoon slope. This baseline investigation highlighted the ecological value of these reefs. Destructive fishing and overfishing are presently the most serious threats for these coral reefs. They should receive much more scientific and conservation attention.

A comparison of coral reef and coral community fish assemblages in Pacific Panama and environmental factors governing their structure

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (7) ◽  
pp. 1331-1341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Benfield ◽  
Laura Baxter ◽  
Hector M. Guzman ◽  
James M. Mair
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Reef Fish ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Size Composition ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Coral Community ◽  
Percentage Cover ◽  
Dimensional Scaling ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Habitat Variables

We compared the reef fish assemblages of two habitats, coral reefs and coral communities (rocky substratum with coral colonies), in the Las Perlas Archipelago in Pacific Panama and attempted to determine associations with habitat variables. We used a modified Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) survey to record fish species and quadrat transects to determine benthic composition. Multivariate non-parametric multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) ordinations were performed in PRIMER and univariate correlations were used to determine relationships. The reef fish of coral communities were significantly more diverse and species rich than those of coral reefs. The two habitats had significantly different species and size composition, but trophic and family groups overlapped between habitats. Topography, exposure, and the percentage cover of branching and massive corals correlated significantly with differences in fish parameters. The reef fish assemblages of this region appear to be determined more by the larger scale structural features that characterize the two habitats than by features that vary over small scales within the habitats.

The coral communities of Lord Howe Island

1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 457 ◽  
Author(s):  
VJ Harriott ◽  
PL Harrison ◽  
SA Banks
Keyword(s):  
Coral Cover ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Lord Howe Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Status ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Apparent Reduction ◽  
Hard Coral Cover

Lord Howe Island (31�33′S, 159�05′E) is surrounded by the southern-most coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean. The status of the benthic communities at Lord Howe Island was quantified in 1992-93 using replicated video-transects at 20 sites in the shallow reefal area (<20 m depth). The cover of hard coral was comparable with coral cover on some tropical reefs, ranging from less than 10% at some reef flat sites to greater than 40% cover at two seaward beach sites. The process of reef formation is apparently slow, and accretion of limestone is localized. A total of 59 scleractinian coral species were recorded during this study (including 19 new records), bringing the total number recorded at Lord Howe Island to 83. The coral communities contain a unique association of tropical species at their southern limits of distribution, and subtropical species which are rare or absent from the Great Barrier Reef. Many of the species that have been recorded from Lord Howe Island are rare, and may have resulted from chance recruitment of only a few larvae. There have been few major changes in the coral communities at Lord Howe Island in the past 16 years. At two inshore sites there was an apparent reduction in hard coral cover in the 1980s.

Distribution, diversity, and conservation of coral reefs and coral communities in the largest marine protected area of Pacific Panama (Coiba Island)

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
HECTOR M. GUZMAN ◽  
CARLOS A. GUEVARA ◽  
ODALISCA BREEDY
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Marine Protected Area ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Scleractinian Corals ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Live Coral Cover ◽  
Coral Communities

Sampling scale and lack of attention to taxa other than scleractinian corals have limited the capacity to protect coral reefs and coral communities in Pacific Panama. The distribution of coral habitats (live coral cover) and their species richness in the largest marine protected area of Panama, the Coiba National Park (270 125 ha), is described using quadrat transects and manta tows. The species richness of scleractinian corals and octocorals was lower in coral reefs than in coral communities, and a close relationship between richness and live coral cover was observed only in coral communities. The distribution of high live coral cover in coral communities overlapped with areas of high coral species richness. Average live coral cover in communities was 64%, compared to 28% in reefs, whereas algae cover was 30% and 49%, respectively. Twenty-two coral and 34 octocoral species were observed, many only now detected in Panama as endemic or new species. Analysis of satellite imagery showed 80% of terrestrial habitats were mostly primary forest, and coral reefs and coral communities covered 1700 ha, about 2% of marine habitats. Shallow marine environments (< 20 m) had up to 60% calcareous red algae cover (rhodolite beds). Based on the distribution of live coral cover and species richness, three conservation units were identified as priority, with the southern and northernmost sides of the marine protected area as the most significant. These three areas encompass most of the rare and endemic species or populations, as well as species previously regarded as endangered.

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