Coral reefs host some of the highest concentrations of biodiversity and economic value in the oceans, yet these ecosystems are under threat due to climate change and other human impacts. Reef monitoring is routinely used to help prioritize reefs for conservation and evaluate the success of intervention efforts. Reef status and health are most frequently characterized using diver-based surveys, but the inherent limitations of these methods mean there is a growing need for advanced, standardized, and automated reef techniques that capture the complex nature of the ecosystem. Here we draw on experiences from our own interdisciplinary research programs to describe advances in in situ diver-based and autonomous reef monitoring. We present our vision for integrating interdisciplinary measurements for select “case-study” reefs worldwide and for learning patterns within the biological, physical, and chemical reef components and their interactions. Ultimately, these efforts could support the development of a scalable and standardized suite of sensors that capture and relay key data to assist in categorizing reef health. This framework has the potential to provide stakeholders with the information necessary to assess reef health during an unprecedented time of reef change as well as restoration and intervention activities.

中文翻译：

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迈向珊瑚礁监测的新时代

珊瑚礁是海洋中生物多样性和经济价值最集中的地方之一，但由于气候变化和其他人类影响，这些生态系统正受到威胁。珊瑚礁监测通常用于帮助优先保护珊瑚礁并评估干预工作的成功与否。珊瑚礁状况和健康状况最常使用基于潜水员的调查来表征，但这些方法的固有局限性意味着越来越需要先进、标准化和自动化的珊瑚礁技术来捕捉生态系统的复杂性质。在这里，我们利用我们自己的跨学科研究项目的经验来描述原位研究的进展基于潜水员的自主珊瑚礁监测。我们提出了我们的愿景，即整合跨学科测量以选择全球范围内的“案例研究”珊瑚礁，以及生物、物理和化学珊瑚礁成分及其相互作用中的学习模式。最终，这些努力可以支持开发一套可扩展和标准化的传感器，这些传感器可以捕获和传递关键数据，以协助对珊瑚礁健康状况进行分类。该框架有可能为利益相关者提供在前所未有的珊瑚礁变化以及恢复和干预活动期间评估珊瑚礁健康所需的信息。