Measurement and monitoring, methods and applications to coral bleaching: methods and findings of the Hawaii Coral Reef Monitoring Program (CRAMP)
Jokiel P. 2001. Measurement and monitoring, methods and applications to coral bleaching: methods and findings of the Hawaii Coral Reef Monitoring Program (CRAMP). Pages 67-71. In Jokiel P (ed): Proceedings of the Workshop on mitigating coral bleaching impact through MPA design. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI. May 29-31, 2001. The Nature Conservancy, Asia Pacific Coastal Marine Program. Honolulu, HI. Coral Bleaching and Marine Protected Areas
CRAMP is an example of an integrated regional program that employs state of the art technological innovations not generally available in developing countries. Ideally, investigations of coral bleaching should be viewed in an ecological context in which numerous interacting factors may contribute to the bleaching phenomena and to eventual reef decline. The CRAMP experimental design addresses such subtle issues. CRAMP was initiated in 1998 in response to increasing environmental problems being faced by researchers and managers in Hawaii. CRAMP is an integrated statewide program designed to describe the spatial and temporal variation in coral reef communities in relation to natural and man-made disturbances. At the local level, CRAMP is designed to identify changes at selected sites.Viewed from a broader perspective, CRAMP can describe statewide environmental trends while allowing local scientists to investigate global changes through collaboration with other regional monitoring programs. Degradation of reefs in many areas of Hawaii continues due to increasing human population and human activity. Impacts affecting Hawaiian coral reefs include; overuse (over-fishing, anchor damage, ship grounding, diver damage, etc.), sedimentation, nutrient loading, coastal construction, urbanization, catastrophic natural events (storm wave impact) global warming (bleaching), and introduced species invasions.