Heat, human, hydrodynamic, and habitat drivers measured from space correlate with metrics of reef health across the South Pacific

Bakker, Anna C.; Gleason, Arthur C. R.; Mantero, Alejandro; Dempsey, Alexandra C.; Andréfouët, Serge; Harborne, Alastair R.; Purkis, Sam J.

doi:10.1007/s00338-022-02325-9

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 112 publications

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“…TSS) from multiple drivers (wind, waves and tides). By implementing bootstrapping, random forests implicitly account for both spatial and temporal autocorrelation while also avoiding overfitting, thus improving model stability (Bakker et al ., 2022; Talebi et al ., 2022). Normalization is unnecessary for random forest modelling and, therefore, no prior transformations were performed on our driver data.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial, seasonal and climatic drivers of suspended sediment atop Great Bahama Bank

Lopez‐Gamundi,

Barnes,

Bakker

et al. 2023

Sedimentology

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Suspension is the key mechanism by which fine‐grained sediment (≤125 μm) is winnowed and transported across shallow‐water carbonate platforms into adjacent deep waters. Unlike sliding and saltation, which deliver sedimentary structures via bedload, the sedimentological signature of suspended sediment is more cryptic. This study focuses on suspended sediment, and its drivers – wind, waves and tides – to better constrain the processes responsible for the transport of fine‐grained sediments. By building forward from remote sensing algorithms developed for deep‐waters, sediment suspension in the shallow water column can be mapped from satellite. By applying machine learning to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data for Great Bahama Bank, this study demonstrates how the drivers of sediment suspension change over 18 years across this 100,000 km2 carbonate platform. Through time, both seasonal patterns of suspension, as well as those induced by El Niño‐Southern Oscillation and, more subtly, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation were tracked. El Niño‐Southern Oscillation modulates wind‐induced currents, while Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation affects local sea level. Across space, this study shows how the eastern margin of GBB, which is traditionally considered to be wind‐dominated, primarily owes its suspended sediment to tidal currents focused between islands. Sediment suspension across the leeward margin of Great Bahama Bank, meanwhile, can be attributed to wind‐induced currents and waves. The authors consider this work a step towards delivering a quantitative, reproducible, process‐based understanding of sediment suspension atop carbonate platforms using Earth observation data.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial, seasonal and climatic drivers of suspended sediment atop Great Bahama Bank

Lopez‐Gamundi,

Barnes,

Bakker

et al. 2023

Sedimentology

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Graph-theoretic modeling reveals connectivity hotspots for herbivorous reef fishes in a restored tropical island system

Peterson,

Stuart,

Pittman

et al. 2024

Landsc Ecol

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Context Seascape connectivity refers to how the spatial configuration of marine habitats facilitates or hinders the movement of organisms, nutrients, materials or energy. Predicting and ranking potential connectivity among habitat patches for coral reef fishes helps to understand how reef fishes could utilize and connect multiple habitat types through the flow of nutrients, energy and biomass across the wider seascape during foraging movements. Objectives To advance a spatially explicit understanding of connectivity linkages within a tropical atoll system by modeling, mapping and quantifying potential seascape connectivity for two locally abundant herbivorous reef fish species, the parrotfish, Chlorurus spilurus (pahoro hohoni or pa’ati pa’apa’a auahi), and the surgeonfish, Acanthurus triostegus (manini). Methods We applied a two-step modeling approach by first mapping habitat suitability for the focal species. A graph-theoretic modeling technique was then applied to model and measure the contribution of benthic habitat patches to species-specific potential connectivity within the seascape. Results Habitat suitability was higher and less fragmented for C. spilurus than for A. triostegus. Potential ecological connectivity estimates for C. spilurus were higher across the entire seascape, with differences between species likely driven by local-scale benthic habitat patch configuration and species home ranges. Hotspots of ecological connectivity across the atoll were mapped for both species. Conclusions Despite advances in the application of graph-theoretic techniques in the coastal environment, few marine conservation and restoration measures currently integrate spatial information on ecological connectivity. This two-step spatial modeling approach holds great potential for rapid application of connectivity modeling at multiple spatial scales, which may predict ecological responses to conservation actions including active habitat restoration.

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Atolls of the world: A reappraisal from an optical remote sensing and global mapping perspective

Andréfouët,

Paul

2023

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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Heat, human, hydrodynamic, and habitat drivers measured from space correlate with metrics of reef health across the South Pacific

Cited by 4 publications

References 112 publications

Spatial, seasonal and climatic drivers of suspended sediment atop Great Bahama Bank

Spatial, seasonal and climatic drivers of suspended sediment atop Great Bahama Bank

Graph-theoretic modeling reveals connectivity hotspots for herbivorous reef fishes in a restored tropical island system

Atolls of the world: A reappraisal from an optical remote sensing and global mapping perspective

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