Fluorescence Imager for Rapid Estimates of the Distribution and Abundance of Coral Recruits

New methods are needed to help marine scientists conduct studies of the processes limiting or promoting coral recruitment and survivorship. The small size and low visual contrast of coral recruits in natural settings make them difficult to impossible to locate efficiently. Many coral recruits contain strongly fluorescent pigments, and viewed in the proper way this fluorescence dramatically increases their contrast with their surroundings. Our Phase I efforts, complemented by work being carried out by other researchers, have demonstrated that fluorescence can be an enabling technology for locating coral recruits both in-situ and in the laboratory, and on both natural substrates and artificial settlement tiles. We propose to develop a suite of fluorescence-based tools and instruments that significantly expand on currently available technologies for locating, identifying, and documenting coral recruits. This suite will include specialized light sources and observation and photography techniques that increase the contrast of the recruits with their surroundings, and magnification tools that aid in the identification of the very small targets that are found. The technologies that we propose to develop will be applicable in the field and the laboratory and are intended for both researchers and resource managers.