Innovative Approaches to Coral Reef Monitoring

This project is not just a long-term reef monitoring effort; it’s designed to drive the development of novel approaches and enable a wide range of conservation-focused research questions. By establishing this base monitoring program, we can explore critical aspects of reef health, such as coral reef structural complexity, which influences factors like fish density, behavior, and overall ecosystem function. A key innovation of this project is the application of AI-based methods to analyze drone imagery, specifically aimed at quantifying and monitoring this structural complexity. By developing custom AI models and combining them with high-resolution drone data, we can assess coral reef complexity with high accuracy and across larger spatial scales than traditional methods. This streamlined process provides essential data on how reefs evolve over time, recover from disturbances, and support biodiversity.

The ability to monitor coral reef structural complexity and other key attributes more efficiently and cost-effectively through these technologies offers valuable insights for reef managers and conservation practitioners. In addition, the monitoring program will support a range of research projects, such as examining how spatial patterns of reef degradation can be mitigated through better spatial management.

This investment has a multiplicative effect: by funding the foundational monitoring efforts, it allows for numerous technology-driven projects that can address critical conservation challenges, amplifying the impact of the initial support.