At least 20,160 frame-grabbed images will be analysed each year for changes in the colour array, because coral communities that are sick change colour. In the same sense that a doctor can often tell when a patient is sick by a peaked look, we see that on a coral reef. Vibrant colours turn to grey; brilliant hues turn to white.
Marine scientists are always working on other kinds of monitoring, including underwater site-scanning sonar techniques and low-elevation aerial photography, which is useful in evaluating broad-scale geological changes such as sediment movement after hurricanes. Satellite monitoring is also being explored, but the resolution and interpretation of such remote images is still in the early stages. Going out in boats and “sea truthing” information from more remote platforms is time-consuming. At this point there’s no substitute for getting in the water and actually looking at the plants and animals themselves.”
The key thing to remember for coral reefs is: Look-, but don t touch!
As a boater:
+ Do not dispose of trash, bilge washings, and other debris on or near the reefs!
+ Tie your boat to reef mooring buoys, or anchor in sandy areas; don’t anchor in coral
+ Consult tide and navigation charts, and steer clear of shallow areas
As a fisherman:
+ Avoid shallow coral reefs when trawling. Hooks can scar and injure the coral, and leave live coral vulnerable to infection by microscopic organisms.
+ Try to retrieve all fishing gear, especially monofilament line, which animals can swallow or become tangled in.
+ Observe size and catch limits
As a swimmer or diver:
+ Enjoy diving on the reef without touching or bumping into it. Control your flippers and snorkels. Even the lightest contact can hurt sensitive polyps.
+ Wear a float coat so you can adjust gear without standing on or sitting on coral. Avoid contact with the ocean bottom, where fragile organisms can live. Try not to kick up sand, which can smother reefs.
+ Take home photographs and memories instead of seashells. Don’t remove marine specimens; most captured tropical fish die within a year. All coral is protected. It is against the law to collect, harvest or sell Florida corals in state and adjacent federal waters.
+ Please don’t feed the fish; it disrupts their natural habits.
In terms of sheer natural beauty, coral reefs must rank as nature’s masterpiece. They have some of the most bizarre and beautiful forms of life on this planet, certainly the most colourful. Sea fans, various types of corals, brilliantly coloured fish, and invertebrates. They all live in three-dimensional spaces that are some of the most beautiful scenes ever witnessed on earth. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Plan, adopted in 1990, will be implemented over the next ten to twenty years to clear up water around the Keys and Florida Bay. Under the plan, some Key reefs will be off limits to visitors, and on others, limits or prohibitions will be placed on how many fish, shells, and other animals can be removed.. The purpose of the Environmental Protection Agency’s five-year Reef Monitoring Project is to determine what causes reef damage so these fragile ecosystems can be protected more effectively.