Expert system generated coral bleaching alerts for Myrmidon and Agincourt reefs, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Abstract

An expert system, termed the Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS), was employed at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) in Miami, Florida, USA, to provide interpretations of combinations of near real-time meteorological and oceanographic data, thought to be conducive to coral bleaching. These data were collected via HF radio from automatic weather stations operated by the Australian Institute of Marine Science at Myrmidon and Agincourt Reefs in the central Great Barrier Reef. At Myrmidon Reef, CREWS was useful in “predicting” coral during the end of January and early February 2000. This prediction was verified in the field with observations of low level bleaching for a few species of Acropora bleaching (especially Acropora gemmifera and A. digitifera) on the reef flat at Myrmidon Reef. In February 2000, alerts were produced and sent for Agincourt Reef, 330 km north of Myrmidon Reef, but field observations showed that bleaching did not occur. These results suggest that CREWS may be fine-tuned to predict bleaching in thermally sensitive species or genera at individual locations. 1 Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway; Miami, FL; USA 33149-1026 2 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority; PO Box 1379; Towsville, Queensland 4810; Australia