University of Queensland Researchers to Survey Tubbataha, Other Coral Triangle Reefs

A team from the University of Queensland (UQ) Catlin Seaview Survey visited the Philippines in March to assess the state of coral reefs over large stretches of reefs within the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

The Catlin Seaview Survey, a major project of UQ’s Global Change Institute, is a pioneering scientific expedition revealing the impact of environmental change on the world’s coral reefs. The researchers used a specialised high-resolution panoramic camera system mounted on an underwater scooter to survey large stretches of reefs within the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

The team will also take the innovative camera system to other key reef sites in the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Indonesia to create a region-wide survey. The scientific data collected will be available in the Catlin Global Reef Record (external link), a free online research tool.

Catlin Seaview Survey shallow reef team lead scientist Dr. Benjamin Neal said the camera system would generate a scientific baseline of information, allowing for a comparison of local reef health over time. The data is important for the future conservation and management of coral reefs in the Coral Triangle and worldwide, he explained.

“We are working closely with researchers from the Tubbataha Reefs Management Office so that images and data collected by the project can be used to assist in science-driven conservation,” Dr. Neal said. He noted that Tubbataha Park is one of the best-preserved coral areas in the Coral Triangle, a region where 95 per cent of reefs have been affected by overfishing, destructive fishing, coastal development, pollution and climate change.

Images in the Catlin Global Reef Record are scanned for coral species and combined with regional coral bleaching data to allow for worldwide analysis of coral reef health. The open-access repository aims to encourage global collaboration between scientists, local and international management authorities and the public.

“The Catlin Global Reef Record will serve as a data and analytical resource that scientists and reef managers around the world can have at their fingertips,” Dr. Neal said.

The Catlin Seaview Survey is backed by funding from international insurer Catlin Group Limited.

Source: University of Queensland (external link)