[Coral-List] Coral Reef Observing Session at Ocean Sciences Meeting

[Mark Eakin]

Dear colleagues,

Please note the session OS094 "Coral Reef Observing Systems:  
Monitoring Threats for Today and Tomorrow"  for the upcoming 2006  
Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 20-24, in Hawaii.  We encourage you  
to submit abstracts until the deadline of 20 October 2005.  Details  
are accessible from http://www.agu.org/meetings/os06/.

Best wishes,
The conveners: C. Mark Eakin, William Skirving, Kevin B. Wong


OS094 "Coral Reef Observing Systems: Monitoring Threats for Today and  
Tomorrow"

Description:
Coral Reefs are one of the most diverse and most valuable coastal  
ecosystems.  Unfortunately, they are under a range of threats that  
vary from local destruction to climate change. While local threats  
can be highly destructive, global scale problems such as observed  
increases in ocean temperatures and increasing carbon dioxide content  
in the upper ocean waters impact all reefs, including those in  
pristine, mid-ocean waters.  More importantly, increasing CO2 and  
temperatures often act synergistically to exacerbate the effects of  
local stress.  Scientists have been working to develop a variety of  
observing systems to monitor coral reef ecosystems and help managers  
cope with the threats facing them. These observations are as varied  
as the threats facing coral reefs.

This session will address the wide range of observing systems that  
have either been developed or are under development to monitor the  
threats facing coral reef ecosystems.  These include satellites, buoy  
networks, in situ sensors, dedicated repeat cruises and diver-based  
observations. More important than the individual observations, new  
approaches are needed to integrate these data and provide real-time  
or predictive information to managers. A centerpiece for this effort  
is the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Integrated Observing System, a  
component of NOAA’s developing coastal IOOS. Talks will address the  
observing systems and efforts to integrate them into knowledge  
products and tools for managers to cope with increasing threats to  
coral ecosystems.

Index Terms: Ecosystems, Structure and Dynamic, Biogeosciences,  
Global Change, Remote Sensing and Electromagnetic Processes,  
Instruments and Techniques


C. Mark Eakin, Ph.D.
NOAA Coral Reef Watch
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Center for Satellite Applications and Research
Satellite Oceanography & Climate Division
e-mail: mark.eakin at noaa.gov
url: coralreefwatch.noaa.gov
E/RA31, SSMC1, Room 5306
1335 East West Hwy
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3226
301-713-2857 x109                   Fax: 301-713-3136


William Skirving
Queensland Science and Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd
13 Scholars Place
PO Box 806
Aitkenvale, Queensland  4814
Australia
Ph:  +61 7 47284821
email: William.Skirving at noaa.gov


Kevin B. Wong
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
1125-B Ala Moana Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Email: Kevin.Wong at noaa.gov
Ph: (808) 592-7033; Fax: 592-7013
http://www.nmfs.hawaii.edu/crd/