Extracting Coral Vital Rate Estimates at Fixed Sites Using Structure-from-Motion Standard Operating Procedures

Here, we outline a method of directly measuring coral vital rates via structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry — an image processing technique capable of reconstructing accurate, orthorectified representations of the seafloor and the coral communities that inhabit them. By leveraging SfM technology, NOAA’s U.S. National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) and partners are capable of generating accurate measures of coral vital rates from the scale of individual coral colonies with coverage of tens of sites and thousands of corals within a population.

Rodriguez C, Amir C, Gray A, Asbury M, Suka R, Lamirand M, Couch CS, Oliver T. 2021. Extracting coral vital rate estimates at fixed sites using structure-from-motion standard operating procedures. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-120, 90 p.  https://doi.org/10.25923/a9se-k649.