The aim of this book is to help managers of coral reefs select appropriate ecological monitoring programs, protocols and methods for your coral reef management needs. This book was written in response to requests from coral reef managers for advice on monitoring, especially:
- How monitoring can help management;
- How to choose the best methods to suit your needs; and
- The good and bad points and associated costs of a wide range of monitoring methods.
Monitoring can be specific or general. There are different management information needs for each coral reef area,
so monitoring programs must be designed to include a selection of protocols and methods to meet those needs.
The protocols and methods outlined in this book represent the ones most commonly used on coral reefs around the world. Our advice is to use the standard and frequently used methods to monitor your reefs because these have been extensively tested. Using standard methods also means that you will be able to compare the status of your coral reefs with other reefs at regional and global scales.