Large-scale Mapping of Live Corals to Guide Reef Conservation

In a new study, Dr. Greg Asner and his research team quantified live coral cover across the Main Hawaiʿian Islands using a new airborne mapping approach. Results revealed areas of potential coral refugia and differences in live coral distributions within and across islands, providing managers with a snapshot of the current condition of Hawaiʿian reefs.

This analysis has implications for a range of conservation and management efforts, most specifically Hawaiʿi’s Marine 30-by-30 Initiative, including:

1. Marine protections applied to potential coral refugia can create biodiversity banks for the future;
2. Areas of moderate live coral can be targeted for activities that mitigate land-sea stressors while planning for large-scale reef restoration; and
3. Areas of extremely low live coral cover may be difficult to manage using currently available techniques.

Read the full paper here.

Reference

Asner, G.P., Vaughn, N.R., Heckler, J., Knapp, D.E., Balzotti, C., Shafron, E., Martin, R.E., Neilson, B.J., Gove, J.M. (2020). Large-scale Mapping of Live Corals to Guide Reef Conservation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.