Deep cold-water corals as nurseries for fish larvae
"As a consequence of the decline of numerous commercial fish populations, an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, which includes the protection of essential fish habitat (EFH), has emerged. Cold-water coral (CWC) sites are recognized as biodi...
Preparing to manage coral reefs for ocean acidification: Lessons from coral bleaching
"Ocean acidification is a direct consequence of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and is expected to compromise the structure and function of coral reefs within this century. Research into the effects of ocean acidification on coral ree...
Measuring progress toward global marine conservation targets
"Marine species and their habitats are facing widespread overexploitation and degradation, respectively. In response to urgent calls for their protection, the international community agreed to establish representative networks of marine protected areas by...
Comparative evaluation of airborne LiDAR versus ship-based multibeam SoNAR bathymetry and intensity for mapping coral reef ecosystems
"Large areas of the world's coastal marine environments remain poorly characterized because they have not been mapped with sufficient accuracy and at spatial resolutions high enough to support a wide range of societal needs. Expediting the rate of seafloo...
Rigs-to-reefs: will the deep sea benefit from artificial habitat?
"As a peak in the global number of offshore oil rigs requiring decommissioning approaches, there is growing pressure for the implementation of a rigs-to-reefs? program in the deep sea, whereby obsolete rigs are converted into artificial reefs. Such decomm...
Detection of shallow subtidal corals from IKONOS satellite and QTC View (50, 200 kHz) single-beam sonar data (Arabian Gulf, Dubai, UAE)
"We compared the results of seafloor classifications with special emphasis on detecting coral versus non-coral areas that were obtained from a 44-m pixel-resolution multispectral IKONOS satellite image and two acoustic surveys using a QTC View Series 5 sy...
Assessment of satellite-derived diffuse attenuation coefficients and euphotic depths in south Florida coastal waters
"Optical data collected in coastal waters off South Florida and in the Caribbean Sea between January 2009 and December 2010 were used to evaluate products derived with three bio-optical inversion algorithms applied to MODIS/Aqua, MODIS/Terra, and SeaWiFS ...
Ecological and socioeconomic impacts of 1998 coral mortality in the Indian Ocean: An ENSO impact and a warning of future change?
"The year 1998, was the warmest year since the start of temperature recordings some 150 years ago. Similarly, the 1990s have been the warmest decade recorded. In addition, 1998 saw the strongest El Nino ever recorded. As a consequence of this, very high w...
Climate change in the Seychelles: Implications for water and coral reefs
The Seychelles is a small island state in the western Indian Ocean that is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This vulnerability led the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2001 to express concern over the potential economic and ...
No-take Marine Reserves and Reef Fisheries Management in the Philippines: A New People Power Revolution
The marine-conservation and reef fisheries management program that exists today in the Philippines had humble beginnings in the 1970s at Sumilon and Apo islands. These islands have produced some of the best evidence available that no-take reserves, protec...
Deep cold-water corals as nurseries for fish larvae