Using ecosystem properties to detect transitional states in coral reef fish assemblages
"Ecosystem-based fisheries management requires the means to detect ecosystem change. Indicators based on single species, food webs, or subsets of the full community (e.g. biomass in a particular trophic group) have utility, but may not be sensitive to cum...
Estimating nearshore fisheries catch for the main Hawaiian Islands
"Nearshore fisheries in the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) have great economic, recreational, and cultural value. Currently, information on these fisheries is disparate and incomplete, creating a challenge for effective management. This study combines and sy...
Multi-factor assessment of resilience potential of coral reefs in the Main Hawaiian Islands
"Declining health of coral reef ecosystems led scientists to search for factors that support reef resilience: the ability of reefs to resist and recover from environmental disturbance. Expert review of potential factors highlighted eleven that can affect ...
Quantitative assessment of ESA coral populations and the application of resource selection theory
"The status and extinction risk determinations leading to the decisions to list 22 coral species as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) were based on sparse observational data of species distributions, abundances, and vulnerabilities to...
Determining the effectiveness of watershed management activities to reduce land-based pollution on West Maui
"As an approach to reduce the effects of land-based sources of pollution on coral reefs, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force and NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program identified West Maui as one of two Pacific Region priority areas for the implementation of t...
Impacts of 6 years of herbivore protection at Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA), Maui.
"In response to concerns about declining coral cover and recurring macroalgal blooms, the State of Hawaii established the KHFMA in 2009. Within the KHFMA, herbivorous fishes and sea urchins are protected, but other fishing is allowed. We conducted surveys...
Quantifying habitat utilization patterns of U.S. Caribbean and Hawaii reef fish to define marine protected area boundaries: The coupling of GIS and ecology
NOAAs National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) - Biogeography Program conducts mapping, research, and monitoring of tropical coral reef ecosystems to support wise management of coastal marine resources (Monaco et al. 2001). A biogeographic appro...
Using photomosaics to monitor Acropora cervicornis thickets created by outplanting nursery-grown corals
"In the last decade, coral nursery operations in the Caribbean have expanded from just a few locations to over 50 programs in over 20 countries. These programs have proven to be effective at increasing the abundance of local populations of Acropora cervic...
Expansion of the Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS) network throughout the Caribbean
"The NOAA Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS) Network is a growing number of oceanographic and meteorological monitoring stations situated at coral reef areas of critical concern. The near real-time data from these stations are archived at NOAA and fo...
Using ecosystem properties to detect transitional states in coral reef fish assemblages