Applying a landscape mosaics technique to detect tropical cyclone impacts on coral reef community

Abstract

This study demonstrated that with an off-the-shelf underwater camera and the Adobe Photoshop software, end-users in developing countries with limited resources could use the video mosaics technique for reef monitoring and documenting storm impacts. This video-mosaic method provided a spatially accurate landscape view of the reef benthos. Images from the video-mosaic method revealed that up to 26% of the reef coral at Racha Island disappeared after the storm with 15% increase in sand, pavement and rubble. Most of the coral destroyed by the storm were foliaceous coral - i.e. Montipora sp.