Bleaching Monitoring
Monitoring programs for coral health and bleaching events can be used to provide practical management and design of resilient MPAs and networks. Photo © Paul Marshall
This section provides guidance on how to design and implement monitoring programs for coral health and bleaching events. Both types of monitoring help inform managers about community health, and the ability of corals to resist or respond to stressful conditions.
The overall purpose of these monitoring programs is to produce information that can provide practical management-orientated advice, supported by solid scientific evidence in the selection, (re)design and management of resilient MPAs, and networks of MPAs or other management structures.
There are a number of monitoring protocols; ultimately the methods and approaches used will be site-specific to best fit the needs of the area. Many of the protocols are intended to be applicable to diverse sites, and capable of being combined with complementary protocols. As manager, you will need to identify protocols that works best for your site.
Resources
Global Protocol for Assessment and Monitoring of Coral Bleaching