The Digital Coral Ark

OVERVIEW

Dear Ocean’s Digital Coral Ark is an ongoing compilation of a longitudinal photo and video library of at-risk coral reefs by crowdsourcing historical, current, and future footage. The focus is on near-shore reef systems that have been popular with snorkelers and divers over the years.

RATIONALE

Sadly, our coral reef ecosystems are suffering worldwide. The extent to which we can document healthy corals, as well as those in decline, will impact both the mitigation and level of recovery we, as a society, can achieve in the face of this epic destruction.

As our reefs continue to decline, and even disappear, video footage of some areas may be our only reminder of what once was. Having a backed-up, referenced, decentralized repository of this footage provides a level of protection for this potentially invaluable information. By examining historical video footage, scientists may be better able to uncover the intricacies of these complex and interconnected biomes. This type of information may also enable scientists to one day replant coral reefs as close as possible to their original state. It is urgent to gather this historical footage quickly because many of the older digital video files are becoming corrupted, degraded, or unreadable due to the non- permanence of the original storage media.

First, we intend to archive as much historical footage as possible before these visual records are lost forever.

Second, we hope the footage collected will raise public awareness of both our remarkably beautiful reefs and the very real risk of extinction that some may ultimately face.

Third, historical footage can offset ‘shifting baseline syndrome,’ in which perceived norms gradually change over time, causing the previous state to become forgotten. Today, when younger people enter marine environments, they still see beautiful tropical fish and coral, but they don’t have a reference point to understand how profoundly many reefs have changed from what they once were.

Fourth, the Digital Coral Ark aims to contribute to a roadmap for repopulating reefs in the future, should the need ever arise. If a catastrophic or wide- spread decline occurs precipitously, there will be neither time nor sufficient funding for comprehensive documentation, or for trial-and-error learning— for instance, discovering which corals coexist successfully in close proximity in various locations and conditions.

STEPS

  • Collecting and archiving historical and current images/footage through crowdsourcing

  • Implementing secure storage platforms for photographic digital materials and other collected data

  • Partnering with citizen science groups to document changes over time through standardized temporal texture photography

  • Integrating visual data into interactive, illustrated map solutions to widely disseminate the information

  • Creating replicable protocols to share with community-based stewards of reefs worldwide

  • Developing interactive educational modules to allow students from around the world to virtually snorkel coral reef systems

  • Supporting prospective longitudinal video and photo coverage of remarkable or threatened features within the reef systems

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

The degradation reefs around the world have experienced in the last 30 years is harrowing, but it’s not too late to reverse the decline.

We believe that conservation efforts can be facilitated through shared knowledge spanning both emerging scientific discoveries and traditional knowledge in the form of indigenous conservation practices. Multidisciplinary approaches to the complex problems being faced by our wild reefs today may hold the key to repopulating reefs in the future if the immediate decline cannot be halted.

The wealth of knowledge contained in the ocean and the life it supports should be maximized through compilation and integration across as many interest groups and disciplines as possible. It is our hope that this video library will contribute to this effort.

CONTRIBUTE

If you have would like to contribute to this project, there are several ways to help:

Feel free to contact us here if you have any questions!

Image Credits & References

 

Image Credits

Snorkeler on Reef: Image courtesy of www.coralreefimagebank.org, credit: Mark Fitz

References

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/invertebrates/monarch_butterfly/pdfs/Petition-to-list-Pocillopora-meandrina-under-the-ESA_031418.pdf

http://kohalacenter.org/kbec/etiquette

https://www.coralreefimagebank.org/about1/

https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration