Scientific articles
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2011
A staged approach for the application of linear spectral unmixing techniques to airborne hyperspectral remote sensing data of reef communities of the Al Wajh Barrier, Red Sea, is presented. Quantification of the percentage composition of four different reef components (live coral, dead coral, macroalgae and carbonate sand) contained within the ground sampling distance associated with an individual pixel is demonstrated. In the first stage, multiple discriminant function analysis is applied to spectra collected in situ to define an optimal subset combination of derivative and raw image wavebands for discriminating reef benthos. In the second phase, unmixing is applied to a...
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2011
Lamellodiscus dentexi Aljoshkina, 1984, a gill parasite of Dentex macrophthalmus (Bloch), is redescribed based on new material from the northwest coast of Africa (Senegal and Morocco). Three new species of Lamellodiscus Johnston et Tiegs, 1922 from D. macrophthalmus are described, Lamellodiscus toguebayei sp. n., L. vicinus sp. n., and L. triacies sp. n., all belonging to the “ignoratus” group. They can be distinguished from all other species of this group by the size and shape of male copulatory organ and sclerotised parts of the haptor. Considering the peculiar morphology of the male copulatory organ (long and thin tube) we propose to put together L. dentexi, L. virgula Euzet et Oliver, 1967 and L. obeliae Oliver, 1973 to form the “elongatus” type within the “elegans” group.
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2011
Shallow water coral reefs are found in tropical areas, between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn to a maximum of about 50–75 m depth, in environments with suitable temperatures, salinity, light, nutrients, sediment, hydrodynamics, and seawater carbonate chemistry. Coral reefs are estimated to cover from 284,300 km2 (Spalding et al. 2001) to about 920,000 km2 when associated habitats are included in calculations (Costanza et al. 1997), with 91% of this area in the Indo-Pacific. The Red Sea, which is considered part of the Indo-Pacific region, contains the most biologically diverse reef communities outside of the Southeast Asia coral...
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2010
In the comment on Bruckner (2009; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 397:319–332), Santangelo & Bramanti (2010; Mar Ecol Prog Ser 418:295–297) suggest that the available data for Corallium rubrum populations cannot be used to make conclusions about population trends for the species throughout the Mediterranean. Their main concerns relate to (1) different methodologies used to sample populations; (2) insufficient population information from deep water; and (3) limited data on sampling area and density of colonies. While I recognize many of the limitations of the data, the conclusions in Bruckner (2009) were based on multiple datasets, including population demography and reproductive...
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2010
Farasan Islands Habitat Mapping in Saudi Arabia Using CASI and QuickBird Imagery
Map products derived from remote sensing technology increase our understanding and ability to manage tropical marine environments. The enhanced mapping capabilities of hyperspectral sensors are well understood; yet technology uptake, particularly for large scale tasks, has been slow. The study presented represents one of the largest hyperspectral projects to date, and paves the way towards increased use of this technology. Hyperspectral CASI-550 imagery and multispectral QuickBird imagery, was acquired over 3,168 km2 of the Farasan Islands. In addition to the typical image processing steps, inopportune water condensation in the CASI sensors lens necessitated further processing to remove an across-track artifact....
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2010
Proceedings of the International Workshop on Red Coral Science, Management, and Trade: Lessons from the Mediterranean.
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2010
How U.S. Ocean Policy and Market Power Can Reform the Coral Reef Wildlife Trade
As the world’s largest importer of marine ornamental species for the aquaria, curio, home de´ cor, and jewelry industries, the United States has an opportunity to leverage its considerable market power to promote more sustainable trade and reduce the effects of ornamental trade stress on coral reefs worldwide. Evidence indicates that collection of some coral reef animals for these trades has caused virtual elimination of local populations, major changes in age structure, and promotion of collection practices that destroy reef habitats. Management and enforcement of collection activities in major source countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines remain weak....
