WP 3.2 Coral reef Monitoring and water quality measurements

Through multiple workshops and meetings, WP 3.2 have solidified and continually improved protocols and methods for coral reef monitoring and water quality measurements. Although the covid-19 pandemic has delayed some fieldwork there has still be a vast amount of progress.

Coral Reef sites for coral monitoring have been identified by MMRI in the Maldives and include established resorts as well as inhabited islands. In Sri Lanka there are two sites, one on the east and one on the west. Partners in India have a vast number of field sites with 6 sites in the Lakshadweep islands as well as more in the Gulf of Mannar and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Field work includes taking measurements of live coral cover, sedimentation rates, coral recruitment and more to help determine the health of the reefs and whether they may be impacted by nitrogen. Buoys are also used to collect water quality data as well.

Also to collect data on water quality, there have been some cruises already completed as well as two planned for April/May 2021 which cover the major coral covered coastal areas of South Asia