[Coral-List] reef monitoring protocols using snorkel gear
Cherie Morris
morris_c at usp.ac.fj
Thu May 8 21:03:29 EDT 2008
For posting please in response to the above mentioned subject
The Institute of Marine Resources (IMR) at the University of the South
Pacific USP)in Fiji coordinates the South-West Pacific Node of the Global
Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) involving seven countries (Fiji,
Nauru, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu). There are
also two other GCRMN nodes that cover the other Pacific Islands. There are
coordinators in each country that are in touch with the various groups doing
the monitoring including groups monitoring the effectiveness of Marine
Protected Areas (MPAs). Both snorkel and SCUBA gear is used for long term
monitoring of coral reefs to assess reef health using the Reef Check and
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) protocols. Monitoring methods
include, Point Intercept Transect (PIT), Line Intercept Transect (LIT) and
Photo Transect for benthic cover, and Belt Transect for fish and
invertebrate abundance and diversity.
With regards to establishing marine protected areas, there has been
considerable community involvement in establishing locally managed MPAs and
conducting reef assessments using snorkel gear following the Reef Check
protocol. There also monitoring manuals some in local languages (e.g. Fijian
and Vanuatu Pidgin).
It is very important that you link with others in the Island you will be
working in to ensure you use similar protocols that can be shared and allow
comparisons. You may also be interested in the 2004 Status of the Coral
Reefs in the South West Pacific recently published by USP
(www.ipsbooks.usp.ac.fj)
For more information please contact Cherie Morris on morris_c at usp.ac.fj.
Thank you.
Cherie.
-----Original Message-----
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Subject: Coral-List Digest, Vol 59, Issue 4
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Coral Reef Restoration? (Kristen Hoss)
2. Re: Coral Reef Restoration? (Todd Barber)
3. method to store and transport coral samples (Kirsten Mckimmie)
4. reef monitoring protocols using snorkel gear (William Donaldson)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 2 May 2008 06:51:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kristen Hoss <kristenhoss at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coral Reef Restoration?
To: Don Baker <reefpeace at yahoo.com>, coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Message-ID: <921717.29977.qm at web53910.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Don,
I understand your point to a point. However I believe
that the term "coral reef restoration" is applicable
for projects where the reef tract has been damaged by
groundings, cable drags, anchor drags and other such
anthropogenic sources. In these cases, during
"restoration" efforts, corals are cemented to the
hardbottom, from which they were seperated, and
sponges held in place so that they can regenerate.
These coral reef restoration efforts are supported by
data which show that instead of dying, the corals and
sponges lived, thus the reef itself was restored to
its original composition and "look". The data also
supports regrowth of other benthic organisms and
acceptance of cement as a substrate to grow on.
There is no way to make everything exactly how it was,
restore it to it's original condition without
introducing change. However, a coral reef is not
static and it experiences change every day. Some
things remain "in situ" through these natural changes
unless there is a storm or natural disaster, such as
where a coral recruits and grows and where a sponge
settles and establishes. These are the things that
can be "restored"
Kristen Hoss
Ecologist and Educator
Vone Research Inc.
"Diving to make a difference"
www.voneresearch.org
--- Don Baker <reefpeace at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Coral-List Members
>
> Though this subject may have been discussed in the
> past herein this List, I think its important to
> clarify as to what "Coral Reef Restoration" actually
> means.
>
> We read a plethora of programs, proposals, projects,
> and perhaps 'environmental pipe dreams' about
> 'undertaking coral reef restoration.' But what are
> the successes, the real accomplishments out in the
> real world and not within someone's book, magazine
> article, or grant write up?
>
> Can we actually restore a reef? How many square
> miles can we restore?
>
> Will coral farming seedling rejects add to a
> restoration area? Do Reef Balls help at all in the
> big picture or only as highly localized cosmetic,
> band-aid ecosystem touch ups.
>
> Where is the real and present data that
> substantiates any successful coral reef restoration
> endeavor? I am not referring to MPA establishment.
> I am referring to actual coral transplants,
> re-plants, etc.
>
> Can we actually restore a coral reef? Or will
> 'mother nature' take care of its own and restore if
> human affections are eliminated?
>
> In short, I think we need to be very careful
> whenever we 'use' the concept of coral reef
> restoration in any of our write ups, project drafts,
> and grant proposals.
>
> Don
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Alternate Email: donbjr95 at hotmail.com
>
> "Dedication and motivated direction in achieving
> specific goals related to the care and protection of
> living things is not necessarily a guaranteed
> formula for success. Success is, more often than
> not, a direct result of a person?s passion in
> addition to the above formula." [Don Baker, Marine
> Conservationist/Activist, 1998]
>
> ---------------------------------
> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with
> Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
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>
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>
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------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Fri, 2 May 2008 12:36:17 -0400
From: "Todd Barber" <reefball at reefball.com>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coral Reef Restoration?
To: "Don Baker" <reefpeace at yahoo.com>,
<coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Message-ID: <003a01c8ac72$a52f5150$6901a8c0 at TODDDESK>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Hi All,
As a note on this, Reef Ball Foundation takes the stand there is no such a
thing as Coral Restoration however their is very definately coral
rehabilitation and to be more specific protective void space mitigation.
And, there are new technologies that are getting us even closer to coral
restoration. In large project we are currently involved in the
Caribbean...we have been able to use an advanced GIS system to photo
document each and every coral in a mitigation project. Using this analysis
to guide rehabilitation efforts, we'll be able to move corals out of harms
way and replant them (also using new advanced methods of stress free
movement and anchoring) to preserve as nearly as possible the original
ecosystem. Working in real time (24 hour lag) in the GIS system, scientist
from around the world can examine any coral we are working in a project
documented with the system, make notes or comments on specific treatments
recommeded and communicate them to field teams doing the work. This type of
worldwide collaberation on Coral Rehabiltation is the future to link all of
us in this communty to each other on real projects so that we can all
contribute our specialized talents to actually save corals.
We'll have a live model of this new system at ICRS if anyone wants to track
me down for a look at how it works. It is based on Google Earth and hosted
web photos so just about all of us already have the software we need to
contribute.
Thanks,
Todd R. Barber
Chairman, Reef Ball Foundation
www.reefball.org
252-353-9094
Skype name: toddbarber
Cell Phone 941-720-7549
3305 Edwards Court
Greenville, NC 27858
Inbox protected by ClearMyMail
www.ClearMyMail.com {c2509d95650d4b87a5a76fe30c468363}
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Baker" <reefpeace at yahoo.com>
To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 6:00 PM
Subject: [Coral-List] Coral Reef Restoration?
Coral-List Members
Though this subject may have been discussed in the past herein this List, I
think its important to clarify as to what "Coral Reef Restoration" actually
means.
We read a plethora of programs, proposals, projects, and perhaps
'environmental pipe dreams' about 'undertaking coral reef restoration.' But
what are the successes, the real accomplishments out in the real world and
not within someone's book, magazine article, or grant write up?
Can we actually restore a reef? How many square miles can we restore?
Will coral farming seedling rejects add to a restoration area? Do Reef
Balls help at all in the big picture or only as highly localized cosmetic,
band-aid ecosystem touch ups.
Where is the real and present data that substantiates any successful coral
reef restoration endeavor? I am not referring to MPA establishment. I am
referring to actual coral transplants, re-plants, etc.
Can we actually restore a coral reef? Or will 'mother nature' take care of
its own and restore if human affections are eliminated?
In short, I think we need to be very careful whenever we 'use' the concept
of coral reef restoration in any of our write ups, project drafts, and
grant proposals.
Don
Alternate Email: donbjr95 at hotmail.com
"Dedication and motivated direction in achieving specific goals related to
the care and protection of living things is not necessarily a guaranteed
formula for success. Success is, more often than not, a direct result of a
person's passion in addition to the above formula." [Don Baker, Marine
Conservationist/Activist, 1998]
---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it
now.
_______________________________________________
Coral-List mailing list
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http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 07:44:50 +0000
From: Kirsten Mckimmie <iamthekirsten at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Coral-List] method to store and transport coral samples
To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Message-ID: <BLU127-W911204839911E6DBFD7A8AFD40 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Dear Knowledgeable People,
I am a master student working with corals in Vietnam. I need to transport
coral samples, preferably by courier post, back to Sweden. Eventually I
will need to enumerate zooxanthellae in coral tissue samples, which brings
me to my predicament:
1) I need a method to preserve and store the samples for transport
which will not damage the possibility to identify the zooxanthellae from the
coral tissue. It will not be necessary to identify the zooxanthellae on any
level greater than simply counting them.
2) In order to have the highest chance of obtaining results from my
samples, I ask if it is best to transport samples which are (a) small pieces
of coral (tissue and skeleton) chipped from the replicates, or (b) a slurry
of removed coral tissue (no skeleton) from a the whole of each replicate.
The time frame for which the samples need be stored is approximately 3
months, where refrigeration is not available for the first month.
I am very thankful for any suggestions you might have.
Sincerely,
Kirsten McKimmie
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------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 20:42:15 -0800
From: William Donaldson <wdonaldson1 at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Coral-List] reef monitoring protocols using snorkel gear
To: <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Message-ID: <BAY114-W455F23BBFDBEDE3B4D8E54F7D70 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I am looking for appropriate coral reef assessment and long term monitoring
methods using snorkel gear only. This work is in relation to establishing a
marine protected area in the S. Pacific.
Are there sites or pubs you could refer me to?
Thanks
_________________________________________________________________
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