AUTHOR=Schill Steven R. , Asner Gregory P. , McNulty Valerie Pietsch , Pollock F. Joseph , Croquer Aldo , Vaughn Nicholas R. , Escovar-Fadul Ximena , Raber George , Shaver Elizabeth 

TITLE=Site Selection for Coral Reef Restoration Using Airborne Imaging Spectroscopy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.698004

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2021.698004

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Over the past decade, coral restoration efforts have increased as reefs continue to decline at unprecedented rates. Identifying suitable coral outplanting locations to maximize coral survival continues to be one of the biggest challenges for restoration practitioners. Here, we demonstrate methods of using derivatives from airborne imaging spectroscopy to identify suitable coral outplant sites and report on the survival rates of restored coral at those sites. Outplant sites for a community-based, citizen science outplant event in Bávaro, Dominican Republic, were identified using expert-defined criteria applied to a suitability model from data layers derived from airborne imagery. Photo quadrat analysis of the benthic community confirmed the accuracy of airborne remote sensing maps with live coral cover averaging 3.5-4% and mean algal cover (macro algae and turf) ranging from 28-32%. Seven coral outplant sites were selected at 3-7m depth with maximized levels of habitat complexity (i.e. rugosity) and live coral cover and minimized levels of macroalgal cover, as predicted by the imaging spectrometer data. In November 2019, 1,722 Acropora cervicornis fragments (80-180mm in length) were outplanted to these sites. Surveys conducted in January 2020 in four of these sites confirmed that 92% of outplants survived after three months. By October 2020 (11 months after outplanting), survivorship remained above 76%. These results demonstrate higher than average success rates for coral outplant survival for this species. An online tool was developed to enable replication and facilitate future selection of coral restoration sites. We present a case study that demonstrates the efficacy of applying these methods anywhere airborne imaging spectroscopy data are collected.