Long-Term Reef Monitoring
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School
Florida Career College, Fort Lauderdale *
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Course
9
Subject
Geography
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
Pages
4
Uploaded by ConstableCheetah2024 on coursehero.com
Name: _____________________________________________ Period: ___ Date: _________
Long-Term Reef Monitoring
Modified from NOAA (
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
)
Learning Objectives
●
Describe how a reef habitat is marked for
monitoring
●
Explain what techniques are used to make
monitoring work more efficient and why
●
Identify habitat changes in reef monitoring
images and potential causes of those
changes
●
Discuss challenges in monitoring
techniques and image evaluation
Background Information
Monitoring Data
Long-term monitoring data has been collected at East and West Flower Garden Banks within a
national marine sanctuary on a continuous basis since 1978. A second monitoring project was
added in 2002 These monitoring activities constitute one of the longest monitoring programs of
a coral reef anywhere in the world! Monitoring activities include, but are not limited to, repetitive
photo stations.
Reef Photo Stations
Stations on the reef are marked with metal pins and assigned numbers or letters. This is the
least destructive way to mark a spot on a reef. These pins help researchers return to the exact
same location each year to take photos. To make the photos the same every year, researchers
mount the camera on a special Tframe. The camera is positioned in the middle of the crossbar
at the top of the ‘T’ with the lens facing down toward the ground. A compass, a level, and
camera flashes are also mounted on the crossbar. The base of the T-frame is placed at the pin
location. The frame is rotated until it is facing north and the level is used to make sure the
camera is perpendicular to the sea floor. Then, the picture is taken. This system allows the
camera to capture the exact same area in the image every year. By comparing photos from year
to year, scientists can evaluate any changes occurring on the reef.
Instructions
Study changes in coral reefs by comparing pictures from monitoring activities at 3 locations in
the Gulf of Mexico: East Flower Garden Bank, West Flower Garden Bank, and Stetson Bank.
Through these comparisons, you will see exactly how coral growth, coral cover, loss of tissue,
and incidents of bleaching and disease change with time. This is exactly how real coral
biologists study changes in coral communities over time.
Stations:
1.
East Flower Garden Bank (1989 - 2014)
www.flowergarden.noaa.gov/image_library/efgbmonitoringimages.html
2.
West Flower Garden Bank (1989 - 2014)
www.flowergarden.noaa.gov/image_library/wfgbmonitoringimages.html
3.
Stetson Bank (2002 - 2011)
www.flowergarden.noaa.gov/image_library/stetsonmonitoringimages.html
Questions
1.
Before you begin photo comparisons, what technique(s) do you plan to use? (1 pt)
2.
Compare the pictures from year to year per station using the links above. Under
“Noticeable Differences”, write at least 4 major noticeable differences between pictures.
Be as specific as possible. Differences may include, but are not limited to,
color
change, change in size of objects, new objects, missing objects
, etc. Under “# of
Differences”, estimate how many differences you were able to find per station. (15 pts)
Station
Noticeable Differences
# of Differences
East Flower
Garden Bank
Color goes from blue to bleached
Color is beginning to become green as new objects appear color
begins to reappear and more green populates the area
Green takes over more of the surrounding area
The green begins to diminish and blue once more begins to
take over
Blue fully taking over
Color drains more as it becomes a dullish green
Color completely goes away
The color becomes more blue
Color once more fades all the way to dull
Green begins to return to the coral
Coral turns blue
13
West Flower
Garden Bank
Algae grew on it
More coral
Fish slowly disappeared coral turned more green/purple
Large corals turned whitish
Coral grew larger and took on the whole picture
6
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