IGOS Coral Reef Subtheme

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IGOS Coral Reef Sub-theme

• Arthur Dahl
• THE CHALLENGE OF OBSERVING CORAL REEFS
• The IGOS Coral Reef Sub-theme report.

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Why a coral reef theme?

• First major ecosystem type to show rapid global
  degradation
• Reservoir of marine biodiversity
• Food security, protection, livelihoods for 500
  million people
• Major resource for SIDS, etc.
• Basis for tourism industry
• Damage from global climate change

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Challenges of the coastal zone

• Dynamic land-water boundary
• Air-water interface
• Waves, tides and currents
• Light penetration in water column
• Variable water quality/reflectance
• Linear features with great depth variation

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Coral reef challenges

• Difficult access
• Largely vertical orientation
• Diverse and patchy biological communities
• Symbioses mix spectral signatures
• Dynamic in time and space

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Coral reef user needs

• Mapping morphology/habitats
• Detecting change
• Early warning (stresses, hotspots)
• Local reef status
• Management effectiveness

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Satellite observation goalshigh resolution

• Protocols to map/monitor ecosystem health
• Hyper 1 meter sensor
• Multi non-pointable or hyper pointable
• Resolution 1-5 meters
• Coverage annual, monthly pass
• Radiometric accuracy gt 12 bits

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Satellite observation goals low
resolutionEnvironmental monitoring

• Ocean color
• SST spatial resolution 1 km, accuracy 0.05-0.1C
• Atmospheric sounding CO2 in water,
  Temperature/humidity profiles
• Sea surface salinity
• Wind scatterometers near coast, more frequent
• Altimeters
• SAR improve algorithms for wave height/direction

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In situ needs

• Strategy to optimize information from instrument
  platforms, scientific monitoring and volunteer
  monitoring
• Integrate remote sensing into in situ monitoring
  via regional centres
• Determine capacity to extrapolate to large reef
  areas
• New underwater remote sensing instrument packages

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Data assimilation and outputs

• Strengthen ReefBase with GIS and response
  capacities
• Integrate remote sensing products into research,
  capacity-building, decision-support
• Build scientific capacity for analysis and
  interpretation
• Extend instrumented monitoring stations on coral
  reefs
• Develop products for fishers, tourism, reserve
  managers, governments, planners, scientists
• Establish web inventory of sources

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Institutional requirements

• Obtain stable funding for international
  coordination of coral reef monitoring and
  assessment
• Incorporate coral reef monitoring into
  operational coastal observing programmes
• Organize regular information exchange for
  coordination and strategic planning among global,
  regional and national programmes
• Design information delivery on a regional basis
  at affordable cost

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Theme implementation

• Overall leadership and management GOOS/GTOS
  (Coastal Theme)
• Policy coordination International Coral Reef
  Initiative
• Remote sensing NOAA NESDIS lead, CEOS,
  UNESCO/IOC and UNEP
• Interpretation ?
• In situ coordination GCRMN, GOOS/GTOS
• Data management ReefBase, UNEP/WCMC, NOAA CoRIS
• Products/services ICRAN, GCRMN, NOAA/NESDIS,
  WorldFish Center, NCORE, IOC/GOOS, GTOS

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Coral Reef Theme team

• Arthur Dahl, Co-leader, UNEP ICRAN (Geneva)
• Alan E. Strong, Co-leader, NOAA (Maryland)
• Serge Andrefouet, Univ. South Florida/IRD
  (Noumea)
• Filipe Arzayus, NOAA (USA)
• Billy Causey, Florida Keys Sanctuary (Marathon)
• Ned Cyr, GOOS/IOC and NOAA (Maryland)
• Ed Green, UNEP-WCMC (Cambridge)
• Georg Heiss, Reef Check (Bremen)
• Tiit Kutser, Univ. Uppsala (formerly CSIRO,
  Australia)
• John McManus, NCORE (Miami)
• Peter J. Mumby, Univ. Exeter (UK)
• Jamie Oliver, WorldFish Center (Penang)
• Brad Opdyke, IGBP/ANU (Canberra)
• Bernard Salvat, EPHE-CNRS (Perpignan)
• William Skirving, AIMS (Townsville)/NOAA
• Marjo Vierros, CBD (Montreal)
• Clive Wilkinson, GCRMN (Townsville)

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Major needs

• Improve link between remote sensing and in situ
  monitoring
• Sustainable funding for coordination and
  information flow
• Improve data management/exchange
• Rapid response capacity
• High spatial/spectral resolution to detect
  community changes
• Mapping/monitoring at 1-4m resolution

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Recommended requirements