[Coral-List] Reef Habitat Monitoring
Steve LeGore
slegore at mindspring.com
Fri Dec 13 12:43:45 EST 2013
Hello All,
I would like to posit a notion concerning monitoring of coral reef habitats,
if you all will tolerate this exercise. For conjecture, if limitations in
technology or financial resources were miraculously not at issue, what water
quality and physical environment parameters would we like to see
continuously monitored in these habitats. Example potential uses of
monitoring might be to create early warning opportunities for prioritizing
reef areas requiring intervention [leaving aside the issue that most do, as
we all appreciate], for identifying areas where reef creation/rebuilding
might be most feasible, and similar or related issues.
Obvious parameters include pH, salinity, water temperature, P & N nutrients,
suspended solids, water depths and tidal ranges, hydrographic and
wind-driven currents. Are there others that our coral reef experts consider
important, such as, perhaps, specific calcium ions or compounds, heavy
metals, chlorophyll (as a potential measure of algal overgrowth?). What
would the ideal monitoring program consist of if 24/7 monitoring devices
were available?
I am wondering what the parameter list would look like if this were the
subject of an X-Prize. Is anyone interested enough to participate in such a
discussion?
Steve LeGore
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