[Coral-List] Fw: Re : Coral Reef research needs

Julian @ Reefcheck Malaysia julian at reefcheck.org.my
Wed Oct 12 01:44:53 EDT 2011


Hi Douglas

For some reason I didn't see the earlier postings below your message, but thanks for your response. Indeed, we are doing just what Martin is suggesting. 

We have some 50 permanent survey sites (mapped and marked) around Peninsular Malaysia and about 30 in East Malaysia that are surveyed each year (unfortunately resources only allow us to go once a year), using volunteers we have trained to conduct the surveys using the Reef Check Method. We also work with local dive operators (those few that are interested enough to realise that their key business asset may need looking after). Increasingly we are working with the Department of Marine Parks, who manage the marine parks where our sites are located - I have just returned from a trip training some of their staff.

The information is useful for monitoring - I can say with a degree of comfort that some reefs are stable, others are declining and we need to bring more scientific resources to bear on the problems in those areas. But it is also useful in awareness/education programmes - we use the results in our education programmes for schools on the marine park islands, for example. These are major tourist destinations, and the health of the reefs is obviously important for the local communities, so we are trying to do something about that, too. 

Do we do enough with the data? Probably not. Annual reports (summaries) are available on our website; the raw data is available to anyone who wants it. We are trying to work more with local universities to do more with it, and to get more research off the ground - hence my original message on the list. 

But also we need to get the information through to the general public - too many people still throwing trash around, wasting water, etc. My mind is stuck on a problem: how do we move beyond awareness raising (which lots of people are doing lots of but I am yet to be convinced that we are actually achieving anything beyond "oh, coral reefs. Those look nice...") to behaviour change? Any hints welcome!

Regards

Julian Hyde
General Manager
Reef Check Malaysia Bhd
03 2161 5948
www.reefcheck.org.my
Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rcmalaysia

"The bottom line of the Millenium Asessment findings is that human actions are depleting Earth’s natural capital, putting such strain on the environment that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted."


-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov [mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of Douglas Fenner
Sent: Tuesday, 11 October, 2011 4:30 AM
To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Subject: [Coral-List] Fw: Re : Coral Reef research needs


Good point!  And just to remind people, there is an article on the early results of the Reef Check program: Hodgson, G. A global assessment of human effects on coral reefs.  Mar. Poll. Bull. 1999, 38, 345-355.and a more recent update on the Reef Check websitehttp://reefcheck.org/about_RC_Reef/The_Global_Coral_Reef_Crisis_Trends_and_Solutions.php

Also, the Reef Check database has a huge number of surveys spread over a huge number of sites around the world, which were a major component of the data used in some publications showing trends in major areas such as the Caribbean or Indo-Pacific, such as the papers listed below  Bruno, J.F.; Selig, E.R. Regional decline of coral cover in the Indo-Pacific: timing, extent, and subregional comparisons. PLoS ONE 2007, 2,  e711.  Eakin  CM, Morgan JA, Heron SF, Smith TB, Liu G, et al. (2010) Caribbean Corals in Crisis: Record Thermal Stress, Bleaching, and Mortality in 2005. PLoS ONE 5(11): e13969. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0013969       Selig  ER, Bruno JF (2010) A Global Analysis of the Effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas in Preventing Coral Loss. PLoS ONE 5(2): e9278. 
doi:10.1371/
journal.pone.0009278            
These and other publications are listed on the Reef Check publications page, and for some articles a pdf is available for free download there as well
  http://reefcheck.org/about_RC_Reef/Publications.php
A link to the NY Times 5 min video that came out last month which explains what Reef Check does -- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/02/world/americas/02reef.html?_r=2
So a major important contribution.  Thanks to Gregor and everybody else in Reef Check including a huge number of volunteers!!   Cheers,  Doug Douglas Fenner Coral Reef Monitoring  Ecologist Dept Marine & Wildlife Resources American SamoaMailing address:
PO Box 3730
Pago Pago, AS 96799
USA work phone 684 633 4456 In 2010, a survey of more than 1,000 of the world's most cited and published climate scientists found that 97 percent believe climate change is  very likely caused by the burning of fossil fuels. The American 'allergy' to global warming: why?
http://news.yahoo.com/american-allergy-global-warming-why-171043981.html Heat hiding in deep sea, sea level to rise one meter by end of  century http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/oceans_are_storing_heat_to_hide_global_warming_whilst_sea_levels_are_rising/?utm_source=Climate+Action+Programme+-+Newsletter&utm_campaign=00b7025746-Climate_Action_Newsletter_Issue_7_9_04_2011&utm_medium=email  Arctic sea ice shrinks to second lowest level (or lowest ever by a second measure) http://news.yahoo.com/arctic-sea-ice-shrinks-second-lowest-level-171615437.html Canadian Arctic nearly loses entire ice shelf
http://news.yahoo.com/canadian-arctic-nearly-loses-entire-ice-shelf-214311365.htmlFrom: "Fautin, Daphne G"
 <fautin at ku.edu>
To: Martin Moe <martin_moe at yahoo.com>; Laetitia Plaisance <lplaisance at yahoo..com>; Coral List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Sent: Thursday, October 6, 2011 7:00 AM
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Re : Coral Reef research needs

That is, I believe, the concept of ReefCheck.


Daphne G. Fautin
Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Curator, Natural History Museum (Biodiversity Institute) University of Kansas 1200 Sunnyside Avenue Lawrence, Kansas 66045 USA

telephone 1-785-864-3062
fax 1-785-864-5321
skype user name daphne.fautin
evo user name fautin
website: invertebratezoology.biodiversity.ku.edu/home
cv: www.nhm.ku.edu/inverts/daphne.html

    database of hexacorals, including sea anemones       newest version released 19 August
 2011
hercules.kgs.ku.edu/Hexacoral/Anemone2/index.cfm

________________________________________
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov [coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml...noaa.gov] on behalf of Martin Moe [martin_moe at yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2011 3:42 PM
To: Laetitia Plaisance; Coral List
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Re :  Coral Reef research needs

Hi Laetitia,

Thanks for posting the information on the ARMS program. I think that project provides very useful, scientifically valid information  on biodiversity changes that could not be acquired in any other way. What I had in mind, however, was a series of basic surveys on a relatively small number of  indicator species  that could be conducted frequently at an amateur level that would provide at least an indication of change over time that could not be acquired by an expensive scientific program. Of course the protocol would have to be developed by scientists who could identify what species would be most valuable to record and also establish the methodology for the surveys. I don t know if it could be done or not, and if so, whether the information would be useful or not, but in these days of citizen scientist programs, An important offshoot of such a program would be to increase public awareness of the state of coral reefs and advance the idea that maybe something can be done to improve the condition of the reefs... I thought the concept was worth  advancing.
Martin


________________________________
From: Laetitia Plaisance <lplaisance at yahoo.com>
To: Martin Moe <martin_moe at yahoo.com>; Coral List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, October 4, 2011 4:48 PM
Subject: Re : [Coral-List] Coral Reef research needs


Dear Martin,

One of the core projects of The Census Of Marine Life, Census of Coral Reef Ecosystems was to develop a standardized, quantitative way to measure reef diversity so that the results can be compared across localities and through time. After many years of  experimenting different designs, we started using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) to sample reef diversity (mainly the cryptic fauna associated with coral reefs). You can find more information about the ARMS here: http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/arms.php
Processing these structures can be done either using morphology to count the number of species, or using molecular tools if access to a molecular lab is not a problem. The ARMS have proven to be very effective in detecting habitat differentiation and biogeographic patterns of biodiversity.
You can find more information in the following article: http://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/3/4/581/ as well as an article to come the second week of October in the journal: PLoS.
I am not sure this is would be of any help for the  purpose you mentioned but I thought it was worth pointing it out.

Best regards,

Laetitia


Laetitia Plaisance
Marine Ecologist - Coral Reef Biodiversity Specialist

Skype: laetitia.plaisance
Email: laetitia.plaisance at gmail.com

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/laetitia-plaisance/2b/3b7/506
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________________________________
De : Martin Moe <martin_moe at yahoo.com>
  : andrew ross <andyroo_of72 at yahoo.com>; Coral List <coral-list at coral..aoml.noaa.gov> Envoy  le : Mardi 4 Octobre 2011 18h49 Objet : Re: [Coral-List] Coral Reef research needs



On important research needs  I think information on changing biodiversity, for good or ill, is critical knowledge for assessing current conditions and emerging biological and ecological trends on coral reefs, especially for evaluation of management and restoration initiatives. The expertize, time, effort and funding that goes into the exceptional work of the Center for Marine Science and NOAA s National Undersea Research Center is not found in most coral reef areas. I wonder if it would be possible to design a relatively simple protocol for determining the presence and  density of a small number of key organisms, taxonomic and/or ecological, that could be conducted quickly by individuals, students for example, familiar but not necessarily on an expert level with identification of coral reef organisms. The survey could be done several times a year and would produce at least a snapshot of the change and rate of change of coral reef conditions. For example the survey could consist of a count of few non-cryptic species that would produce a rough ecological cross section of the life on the reef. It could be based taxonomically, 4 species of coral, , 4 algae, 4 sponges, 4 mollusks, 4 crustaceans, 4 echinoderms,
4 fish; or ecologically, such as 4 plants,  4 filter feeders, 4 calcifiers, 4 plants, 4 herbivores, 4 scavengers, 4 planktivores, and 4 predators. Photography would enhance the value of the survey. This is very rough, meant only to convey the germ of the concept, but it may  allow development of a better understanding of how some reefs are changing over time that otherwise would not be known, especially in areas not frequently subject to scientific surveys.. Perhaps it already exists, REEF does a good job with fish, but if does exist, I m not aware of it.
Martin
Moe

________________________________
From: andrew ross <andyroo_of72 at yahoo.com>
To: Coral List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2011 10:23 AM
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coral Reef research needs

Julian, Arianna and all,
I'd like to see more work on the hydrology of the coral reef- the hows and whys of coastal protection, beach accretion  and boundary layers. Acropora palmata shallows of the Caribbean must block waves very differently than a stone groyne, for example. There is plenty of info & modelling on the engineered stones, but little on the natural perforated coral structures. Unfortunately these coral systems have been essentially missing for 20+ years, largely predating the computers the models are built around. This speaks to connectivity, restoration/rehab, value and sea level rise.
Andrew Ross


________________________________
From: arianna bucci <ariannabucci at yahoo.it>
To: "Julian @ Reefcheck Malaysia" <julian at reefcheck.org.my>; "Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa..gov" <Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 9:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Coral Reef research needs

Dear Julian

I hope that when you talk about "connectivity" you are also referring to connectivity between different, interconnected habitats to achieve a comprehensive and integrated understanding of the fluxes of materials and energy flow. In this context, I would strongly suggest you to put in your list the study of coral reefs as a part of a system, including the adjacent watersheds, coastal systems, littoral fringe and the adjacent oceanic watermasses.


Best regards,
Arianna Bucci, PhD
Centre d'Estudis Avan ats de Blanes (CSIC), Spain; Visiting Researche Fellow,  University of Malaya, Malaysia



________________________________
Da: "Julian @ Reefcheck Malaysia" <julian at reefcheck.org.my>
A: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
Inviato: Mercoled  28 Settembre 2011 19:57
Oggetto: [Coral-List] Coral Reef research needs

Hi
listers



If I were to put together a list of the most important research needs in coral reef science and management, what should be on the list? What are the most pressing or important areas that need to be looked at? In my ignorance, some areas that stand out are:



-          Resilience

-          Connectivity

- 
         Economics

-          Rehabilitation

-          Climate change/acidification.



But I am sure listers can improve greatly on this list. I would appreciate your thoughts.



Thanks and regards,



Julian Hyde

General Manager

Reef Check Malaysia Bhd

03 2161 5948

www.reefcheck.org.my

Follow us on Facebook at www..facebook.com/rcmalaysia



"The bottom line of the
Millenium Asessment findings is that human actions are depleting Earth's natural capital, putting such strain on the environment that the ability of the planet's ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted."



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