TITLE:
Optimization of Coral Video Transect Technique for Coral Reef Survey: Comparison with Intercept Transect Technique
AUTHORS:
Mohd Safuan, Wee Hin Boo, Hii Yi Siang, Liew Hock Chark, Zainudin Bachok
KEYWORDS:
Coral Reef Survey, Coral Video Transect, Optimize Protocol
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Marine Science,
Vol.5 No.4,
October
7,
2015
ABSTRACT: Variety in video sampling
protocol for coral reef survey worldwide has prompted this study tocreate an optimized protocol for Coral
Video Transect (CVT) technique for coral reef survey in Malaysia. The effect of
different vertical distance of the camera above the substrate during video
recording, number of frames and points analyzed as well as time spent during
field and analysis were examined to determine an optimal protocol for CVT
technique at different coral reef conditions in Malaysia’s water. Video
recording taken at 0.5 m camera distance was selected as optimize vertical
distance above the substrate as it can identify more benthic categories than
1.0 m with lesser time taken as well as frames extracted than 0.2 m.
Respectively, 80% of total frames extracted from 20 m transect and analyzed with
50 points per frames were chosen as an optimized sample size for its ability to
precisely estimate percent cover and accurately identify benthic categories.This optimized protocol was then
compared with Line Intercept Transect (LIT) method. No clear difference in
estimating percentage cover of major benthic categories between CVT and LIT
method, but CVT recorded a significantly higher number of benthic categories
with lesser time spent during field survey as compared to LIT method. This
implied that the optimize CVT method can precisely estimate percent cover and
accurately identify benthic categories in coral communities and are thus more
suitable for scientific research and management purposes than LIT method. Other
advantages of using this technique are by providing a permanent data that can
be reassessed later on, lesser field time and wider survey area. Overall, this
study showed that CVT technique is an acceptable alternative method of coral
reef survey in Malaysia.