Long Term Monitoring Of Heron Reef

The basis of our research has revolved around local long term monitoring of coral at Heron Reef

Locations
Heron Reef, Australia

People
Chris Roelfsema (PI), Kathryn Markey, Mitchell Lyons, Meredith Roe, Paul Tudman, Emma Kennedy, Rodney Borrego, Javier Leon, Emily Shaw, Julie Vercolinie, Stuart Phinn, Eva Kovacs, Denise Perez, Megan Saunders, and Robert Canto

Timeframe
2001 - ongoing

Funding
Various

Summary

Since 2002 we have annually acquired a variety of high spatial resolution airborne and satellite imagery, and geo-referenced photoquadrats for Heron Reef. The project’s objective is to develop our understanding of community changes over time and how to best monitor such habitats in the water and from space. We have developed and improved field methods to collate information on benthic composition, abundance and structure as well as optical properties of the water column and bottom type. This work also involved collecting other physical properties such as wave climate and rugosity. Additionally, we have integrated data through citizen science-based programs such as: CoralWatch, Reef Check Australia and the Eye on the reef program.

Read about the station and the type of research done.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of Heron Island and surrounding reef and waters, the Bailai, the Gooreng Gooreng, the Gurang and the Taribelang Bunda peoples and the sea country we are mapping and monitoring. We pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

We also acknowledge the University of Queensland Heron Island Research Station.

Heron Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Location of photoquadrat transect surveys on Heron Reef collected annually since 2002 and ongoing.

Heron Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Location of photoquadrat transect surveys on Heron Reef collected annually since 2002 and ongoing.

Benthic composition created by integrating field photo quadrate with world view 2 imagery and object based analysis for 2007

Benthic composition created by integrating field photo quadrate with world view 2 imagery and object based analysis for 2007

Annual satellite imagery and georeferenced photoquadrats (clipped to the west side of the reef, outer reef flat and reef slope) for Heron Reef, Australia, from 2002 to 2023. (Currasca et al., in prep)

Annual satellite imagery and georeferenced photoquadrats (clipped to the west side of the reef, outer reef flat and reef slope) for Heron Reef, Australia, from 2002 to 2023. (Currasca et al., in prep)

Annual classification of satellite imageries showing the benthic composition of the west portion of the outer reef flat and the reef slope of Heron Reef, Australia. (Currasca et al., in prep)

Annual classification of satellite imageries showing the benthic composition of the west portion of the outer reef flat and the reef slope of Heron Reef, Australia. (Currasca et al., in prep)

Publications

Scientific journals

  • Vercelloni J, C.M. Roelfsema, EM. Kovacs, M Gonzalez-Rivero, M Moores, and K Mengersen (2023) “Fine-scale interplay between decline and growth determines the spatial recovery of coral communities within a reef.” Ecography https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.06818

  • Roelfsema, C., Kovacs, E.M., Vercelloni, J. et al. Fine-scale time series surveys reveal new insights into spatio-temporal trends in coral cover (2002–2018), of a coral reef on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs 40, 1055–1067 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-021-02104-y

  • Roelfsema, C. M., E. Kovacs, K. Markey, J. Vercelloni, A. Rodriguez-Ramirez, S. Lopez-Marcano, M. Gonzalez-Revero, O. Hoegh-Guldberg and R. S. Phinn (2021). "Benthic and coral reef community field data for Heron Reef, Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, 2002-2018." Scientific Data. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-021-00871-5

  • Roelfsema, C., Kovacs, E., Roos, P., Terzano, D., Lyons, M., & Phinn, S. (2018). Use of a semi-automated object-based analysis to map benthic composition, Heron Reef, Southern Great Barrier Reef. Remote Sensing Letters, https://doi.org/10.1080/2150704X.2017.1420927

  • Perez, D. I., Phinn, S. R., Roelfsema, C. M., Shaw, E., Johnston, L., & Iguel, J. (2018). Primary production and calcification rates of algae-dominated reef flat and seagrass communities. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 123, 2362–2375. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JG004241

  • Borrego-Acevedo, R., C. M. Roelfsema, S. R. Phinn and A. R. Grinham (2014). "Predicting Distribution of Microphytobenthos Abundance on a Reef Platform by Combining in Situ Underwater Spectrometry and Pigment Analysis." Remote Sensing Letters, https://doi.org/10.1080/2150704X.2014.922723

  • Leiper I., S.R. Phinn, C.M. Roelfsema, K.E. Joyce and A.D. Dekker (2014), Mapping Coral Reef Benthos, Substrates, and Bathymetry, Using Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) Data data and Spectral Angle Mapper. Remote Sensing. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs6076423

  • Joyce, K.E., S.R. Phinn, and C.M. Roelfsema (2013) Live Coral Cover Index Testing and Application with Hyperspectral Airborne Image Data. Remote Sensing, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs5116116

Scientific Data