A method for assessing the biomass of benthic organisms in a coral reef area
By combining stratified random sampling and three-dimensional laser scanning technology with centrifugation to process benthic organism samples, the standardization problem of benthic biomass assessment in coral reef areas was solved, achieving high-accuracy and low-cost biomass assessment.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SOUTH CHINA SEA INST OF OCEANOLOGY CHINESE ACAD OF SCI
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for assessing benthic biomass in coral reef areas suffer from low standardization, poor accuracy and repeatability of assessment results, and are insufficient to meet the needs of refined monitoring.
Sampling points were set up using a stratified random sampling method. The reef coverage was determined by underwater photography and the effective attachment area was measured by three-dimensional laser scanning. Benthic organism samples were processed by centrifugation and biomass was calculated.
It improves the repeatability and accuracy of the assessment method, reduces costs, and is applicable to large-scale monitoring of coral reef areas with different habitat types.
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Figure CN122455076A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of marine ecological monitoring and assessment technology, specifically involving the assessment technology of benthic organism biomass in coral reef areas. Background Technology
[0002] Coral reef ecosystems are among the most biodiverse ecosystems in the ocean. Benthic organisms, as an important component of coral reef ecosystems, directly reflect the productivity, health, and stability of these ecosystems, and are key indicators for monitoring coral reef ecosystems and assessing restoration effectiveness.
[0003] Currently, methods for assessing benthic biomass in coral reef areas mainly include transect surveys, remote sensing inversion, and slat collection. Transect surveys often assess coverage through a combination of underwater photography and manual interpretation, but they cannot obtain biomass data, resulting in a lack of quantitative support for the assessment results. Remote sensing inversion relies on high-precision remote sensing equipment, is costly, and is greatly affected by environmental factors such as underwater transparency and light, making it difficult to assess coral reefs in nearshore shallow waters. Slat collection involves manually setting up slats to collect fouled organisms, which cannot accurately reflect the growth status of benthic organisms on natural reef surfaces, and the operation process is complex, time-consuming underwater, and labor-intensive.
[0004] In existing technologies, the assessment of biomass of benthic organisms on natural reef surfaces generally suffers from problems such as low standardization of operations, insufficient accuracy in obtaining biological weight, and poor coupling of multiple parameters. This results in low accuracy and poor repeatability of assessment results, making it difficult to meet the needs of refined monitoring and research of coral reef ecosystems. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for assessing the biomass of benthic organisms in coral reef areas, which addresses the problems of low operational standardization and poor accuracy and repeatability of assessment results in existing technologies.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:
[0007] A method for assessing benthic biomass in coral reef areas includes the following steps:
[0008] Complete reef samples were obtained by collecting reef quadrats in typical habitats of the coral reef area.
[0009] The reef coverage rate was determined by interpreting transect images, and the reef coverage rate of the sampling area was obtained.
[0010] The effective attachment area of the intact reef sample is measured to obtain the effective attachment area of the reef.
[0011] Benthic organisms were isolated and collected from the complete reef samples to obtain classified benthic organism samples and species quantity information;
[0012] The classified benthic organism samples were subjected to moisture treatment and weighing to obtain the wet weight of the benthic species.
[0013] Biomass per unit area of benthic species is calculated based on the reef coverage rate of the sampling area, the effective attachment area of the reef, and the wet weight of the benthic species.
[0014] In one possible implementation, the step of collecting reef sample plots includes:
[0015] Rock sample collection should be carried out uniformly in the same season;
[0016] Stratified random sampling was used to set up sampling points in typical habitats of the coral reef area.
[0017] Multiple sample bands were set at the sampling points;
[0018] Multiple quadrats were set up within the transect;
[0019] Underwater photography of the transect was conducted before collecting rock sample plots.
[0020] Maintain a constant shooting speed while keeping the vertical distance between the underwater camera and the measuring tape within a preset range;
[0021] By controlling the shooting time of the sample tape within a preset range, sample tape images are obtained;
[0022] Collect intact reef samples from the quadrat and seal them for preservation;
[0023] After sealing and preserving, complete reef samples are labeled with sample point number, habitat type, sampling time, and latitude and longitude to obtain complete reef sample and sampling label information.
[0024] In one possible implementation, the step of determining the reef coverage includes:
[0025] Intermittent reef occurrence analysis was performed on the transect images to determine the number of reef occurrences.
[0026] The reef coverage rate of the sampling area is obtained by calculating the proportion of the number of times the reefs appear.
[0027] In one possible implementation, the step of measuring the effective attachment area of the intact reef sample includes:
[0028] Measure the length, width, and height parameters of complete reef samples with regular geometric shapes;
[0029] The length, width, and height parameters were measured multiple times and the average value was calculated.
[0030] The effective attachment area of the regular reef sample is obtained by substituting the average value into the area formula.
[0031] In one possible implementation, the step of measuring the effective attachment area of the intact reef sample includes:
[0032] For complete reef samples with irregular geometric shapes, the effective attachment area was measured using three-dimensional laser scanning technology;
[0033] Among them, scanning equipment was used to perform a full-range scan of a complete reef sample with an irregular geometric shape to obtain three-dimensional point cloud data;
[0034] Preprocess the 3D point cloud data to extract the contour information of all attached surfaces on the surface of the complete reef sample with irregular geometric shape;
[0035] The effective attachment area of the irregular reef sample is calculated based on the contour information.
[0036] In one possible implementation, the step of separating and collecting benthic organisms from the intact reef sample includes:
[0037] Benthic organisms attached to the surface of intact reef samples were removed;
[0038] The complete reef sample was chiseled open and the benthic organisms living inside were removed;
[0039] The isolated benthic organisms were classified and collected according to species.
[0040] After removing non-target impurities from the classified material, a pure sample of classified benthic organisms is obtained.
[0041] Record the number of various benthic organisms to obtain species quantity information.
[0042] In one possible implementation, the step of water treatment and weighing the classified benthic organism sample includes:
[0043] For the classified benthic organism samples, centrifugation was used to standardize surface moisture.
[0044] The sorted benthic organism samples were placed in pre-weighed centrifuge containers, each containing a filter with a suitable pore size.
[0045] Place the centrifuge container containing the classified benthic organism samples into the centrifuge equipment;
[0046] Standardized centrifugation parameters were set to centrifuge benthic organism samples in a centrifuge container to obtain benthic organism samples that had undergone water treatment.
[0047] In one possible implementation, the step of water treatment and weighing the classified benthic organism sample includes:
[0048] Perform horizontal calibration and blank zeroing on the electronic balance;
[0049] The benthic organism samples that had undergone water treatment were weighed multiple times.
[0050] The average of multiple weighing results is calculated to obtain the wet weight of the benthic species.
[0051] One possible implementation also includes:
[0052] The total biomass of benthic species per unit area is obtained by summing the biomass of benthic species per unit area.
[0053] One possible implementation also includes:
[0054] Density was calculated based on information on reef coverage, effective reef attachment area, and species quantity in the sampling area to obtain the benthic species density per unit area.
[0055] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention solves the problem of inconsistent operation procedures in the prior art by using a standardized reef sampling process, adopting a stratified random sampling method to set sampling points and repeat quadrats, unifying sampling time and standardizing sample labeling methods, making the evaluation results of different regions and times comparable, and improving the repeatability of the evaluation method.
[0056] This invention employs differentiated methods for measuring the effective attachment area of reefs of different shapes. For regular reefs, the area is calculated using multi-dimensional parameters, while for irregular reefs, three-dimensional laser scanning technology is used to acquire three-dimensional point cloud data and extract surface contour information for calculation. Compared with the traditional film coating method, this method can more accurately reflect the actual surface area of reefs that can be attached to organisms, improving the accuracy of basic parameter measurements. At the same time, this invention uses centrifugation to standardize the water treatment of biological samples. By setting uniform centrifugation parameters to dehydrate benthic organism samples of different shapes, it avoids errors caused by differences in force and time in manual filter paper pressing, making the water treatment process more standardized and further improving the consistency of benthic species wet weight measurement results.
[0057] This invention combines three parameters—reef coverage, effective reef attachment area, and wet weight of benthic species—to calculate biomass, achieving coupled analysis of multiple indicators. Compared to methods that estimate biomass solely based on coverage, this provides quantitative biomass data, and the assessment results better reflect the actual growth status of benthic organisms in coral reef areas. Furthermore, the tools used in this method are all conventional monitoring equipment, the operation process is simple, and it does not rely on high-precision remote sensing instruments, reducing assessment costs. It is suitable for large-scale monitoring work in coral reef areas with different habitat types. Attached Figure Description
[0058] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0059] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the overall process of the method for assessing benthic biomass in coral reef areas according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0060] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a reef sample according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0061] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of benthic organisms on the reef surface according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0062] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for assessing benthic biomass in coral reef areas according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0063] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0064] Example:
[0065] It should be noted that the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof in the embodiments of the present invention are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.
[0066] See Figure 4A method for assessing benthic biomass in coral reef areas, characterized by comprising the following steps:
[0067] Step 1: Collect reef quadrats in typical habitats of the coral reef area to obtain complete reef samples.
[0068] Specifically, a typical habitat in a coral reef area can be a representative habitat type in the coral reef ecosystem; a reef quadrat can be a fixed-area reef area used to collect benthic organism samples; and a complete reef sample can be an undisturbed reef block that retains its original benthic attachment state. For example, typical habitats include reef flats, reef slopes, and lagoons.
[0069] The step of collecting reef sample plots includes:
[0070] Rock sample collection should be carried out uniformly in the same season;
[0071] Stratified random sampling was used to set up sampling points in typical habitats of the coral reef area.
[0072] Multiple sample bands were set at the sampling points;
[0073] Multiple quadrats were set up within the transect;
[0074] Underwater photography of the transect was conducted before collecting rock sample plots.
[0075] Maintain a constant shooting speed while keeping the vertical distance between the underwater camera and the measuring tape within a preset range;
[0076] By controlling the shooting time of the sample tape within a preset range, sample tape images are obtained;
[0077] Collect intact reef samples from the quadrat and seal them for preservation;
[0078] After sealing and preserving, complete reef samples are labeled with sample point number, habitat type, sampling time, and latitude and longitude to obtain complete reef sample and sampling label information.
[0079] Specifically, stratified random sampling can be a sampling method that involves stratifying the study area according to habitat type and then randomly setting sampling points within each stratum; a transect can be a long strip of survey area used for continuous investigation; a quadrat can be a fixed-area survey unit used for collecting samples; and the preset range can be a pre-defined range of underwater camera shooting height and shooting time. For example, the sampling time is uniformly selected in summer; three replicate transects are set at each sampling point, and each transect is 60m long; six to eight replicate quadrats are set at each transect, and the quadrats are 50cm×50cm in size; the vertical distance between the underwater camera and the measuring tape is maintained at 30cm; the shooting time for each transect is controlled at about 20 minutes; and complete reef samples are placed in sealed sampling bags for preservation after collection.
[0080] Step 2: Determine the reef coverage rate by interpreting the transect image to obtain the reef coverage rate of the sampling area.
[0081] Specifically, the reef coverage rate can be the proportion of the reef distribution area within the sampling area to the total sampling area.
[0082] The step of determining the reef coverage rate includes:
[0083] Intermittent reef occurrence analysis was performed on the transect images to determine the number of reef occurrences.
[0084] The reef coverage rate of the sampling area is obtained by calculating the proportion of the number of times the reefs appear.
[0085] Specifically, interval-based reef appearance determination can be performed by analyzing transect images at fixed intervals, recording whether a reef exists at each analysis point; the number of reef appearances can be the total number of points in the transect image where a reef is determined to exist. For example, the analysis interval is set to 0.1m; the transect length is 60m, and the total number of analysis times is 600; the reef coverage rate is calculated using the formula C=N / 600×100%, where C is the reef coverage rate and N is the number of reef appearances.
[0086] Step 3: Measure the effective attachment area of the complete reef sample to obtain the effective attachment area of the reef.
[0087] Specifically, the effective attachment area of a reef can be the total area of the reef surface that can be used for benthic organisms to attach and grow.
[0088] The step of measuring the effective attachment area of the intact reef sample includes:
[0089] Measure the length, width, and height parameters of complete reef samples with regular geometric shapes;
[0090] The length, width, and height parameters were measured multiple times and the average value was calculated.
[0091] The effective attachment area of the regular reef sample is obtained by substituting the average value into the area formula.
[0092] Specifically, a reef with a regular geometric shape can be a reef whose shape is close to a cuboid, cube, or other regular geometric shape; the length, width, and height parameters can be geometric parameters describing the three-dimensional dimensions of the reef; the area formula can be a mathematical formula used to calculate the surface area of a regular geometric shape. For example, the length, width, and height of the reef are measured using a vernier caliper with an accuracy of 0.01 mm; each parameter is measured three times; the formula for calculating the effective attachment area of a regular reef is S = 2 × (L × W + L × H + W × H), where S is the effective attachment area, L is the length of the reef, W is the width of the reef, and H is the height of the reef.
[0093] The step of measuring the effective attachment area of the intact reef sample includes:
[0094] For complete reef samples with irregular geometric shapes, the effective attachment area was measured using three-dimensional laser scanning technology;
[0095] Among them, scanning equipment was used to perform a full-range scan of a complete reef sample with an irregular geometric shape to obtain three-dimensional point cloud data;
[0096] Preprocess the 3D point cloud data to extract the contour information of all attached surfaces on the surface of the complete reef sample with irregular geometric shape;
[0097] The effective attachment area of the irregular reef sample is calculated based on the contour information.
[0098] Specifically, 3D laser scanning technology can be a non-contact measurement technology that acquires the 3D coordinate information of an object by emitting laser light; the scanning device can be a handheld laser 3D scanner; the 3D point cloud data can be a digital model of the object's surface composed of a large number of 3D coordinate points; preprocessing can be a numerical processing procedure that denoises, smooths, and stitches the original point cloud data; the contour information can be the 3D boundary information of all areas on the reef surface suitable for biological attachment. For example, the scanning device uses a handheld laser 3D scanner; the scanning distance is set to 1m; the scanning resolution is set to 0.1mm; the preprocessing operations include removing invalid point clouds, removing noise points caused by surface dust, and stitching scan data from different angles.
[0099] Step 4: Separate and collect benthic organisms from the complete reef sample to obtain classified benthic organism samples and species quantity information.
[0100] Specifically, benthic organism samples can be various benthic organism individuals collected from reefs.
[0101] The step of separating and collecting benthic organisms from the intact reef sample includes:
[0102] Benthic organisms attached to the surface of intact reef samples were removed;
[0103] The complete reef sample was chiseled open and the benthic organisms living inside were removed;
[0104] The isolated benthic organisms were classified and collected according to species.
[0105] After removing non-target impurities from the classified material, a pure sample of classified benthic organisms is obtained.
[0106] Record the number of various benthic organisms to obtain species quantity information.
[0107] Specifically, surface-attached benthic organisms can be large algae, bryozoans, sponges, etc., growing on the outer surface of the reef; internally inhabited benthic organisms can be shrimp, crabs, snails, etc., inhabiting pores or caves in the reef; non-target impurities can be non-biological materials such as reef debris, silt, and seawater; species quantity information can be the statistical results of the number of individuals of each benthic species. For example, tweezers are used to peel off large algae and sponges from the reef surface; a small shovel is used to scrape off attached bryozoans; a hammer and chisel are used to break open the reef to remove internally inhabited crabs and snails; non-target impurities include silt particles and reef fragments with a diameter of less than 1 mm; benthic organisms are collected by classification according to shrimp, crabs, bivalves, snails, oligochaetes, echinoderms, polyplacophora, porous organisms, and large algae.
[0108] Step 5: Perform water treatment and weigh the classified benthic organism samples to obtain the wet weight of the benthic species.
[0109] Specifically, the wet weight of benthic species can be the weight of a benthic organism sample after standardized moisture treatment.
[0110] The step of treating the classified benthic organism samples with water and weighing them includes:
[0111] For the classified benthic organism samples, centrifugation was used to standardize surface moisture.
[0112] The sorted benthic organism samples were placed in pre-weighed centrifuge containers, each containing a filter with a suitable pore size.
[0113] Place the centrifuge container containing the classified benthic organism samples into the centrifuge equipment;
[0114] Standardized centrifugation parameters were set to centrifuge benthic organism samples in a centrifuge container to obtain benthic organism samples that had undergone water treatment.
[0115] Specifically, centrifugation can be a standardized processing method that uses centrifugal force to separate free water from the surface of biological samples; the centrifuge container can be a centrifuge tube used to hold the biological sample; the filter component can be a sieve or filter membrane placed inside the centrifuge tube; the centrifuge equipment can be a small benchtop centrifuge; and the standardized centrifugation parameters can be a pre-set combination of relative centrifugal force and centrifugation time. For example, the centrifuge container uses 50ml plastic centrifuge tubes; the filter component uses a mixed cellulose filter membrane with a pore size of 0.45μm; the centrifuge equipment uses a small benchtop centrifuge; and the standardized centrifugation parameters are a relative centrifugal force of 150×g and a centrifugation time of 1min to 3min.
[0116] Furthermore, the step of water treatment and weighing the classified benthic organism samples includes:
[0117] Perform horizontal calibration and blank zeroing on the electronic balance;
[0118] The benthic organism samples that had undergone water treatment were weighed multiple times.
[0119] The average of multiple weighing results is calculated to obtain the wet weight of the benthic species.
[0120] Specifically, leveling can be the operation of adjusting the electronic balance to a horizontal state; blank zeroing can be the operation of eliminating the influence of the weight of the weighing container; multiple weighings can be the operation of repeatedly weighing the same sample; the wet weight of benthic species can be the weight of the biological sample after standardized moisture treatment. For example, the electronic balance uses an analytical balance with an accuracy of 0.001g; each sample is weighed twice; the weighing container uses a weighing dish with a known mass; blank zeroing is to place an empty weighing dish on the balance and adjust the displayed value to zero.
[0121] Step 6: Calculate the biomass based on the reef coverage rate of the sampling area, the effective attachment area of the reef, and the wet weight of the benthic species to obtain the benthic species biomass per unit area.
[0122] Specifically, benthic species biomass per unit area can be the total weight of a particular benthic species within a unit area of sea. For example, the unit of benthic species biomass per unit area is g / m²; the formula for calculating biomass is B. i =C×W i / S, where B i W represents the biomass of benthic species i per unit area, C represents the reef coverage of the sampling area, and W represents the biomass of benthic species i per unit area. i i represents the wet weight of benthic species, and S represents the effective attachment area of the reef.
[0123] In some embodiments, it also includes:
[0124] The total biomass of benthic species per unit area is obtained by summing the biomass of benthic species per unit area.
[0125] Specifically, when calculating the total benthic biomass per unit area, first use formula B. i =C×W i / S calculates the biomass per unit area for each benthic species, where B i W represents the biomass of benthic species i per unit area (g / m²), C represents the reef coverage of the sampling area, and W represents the biomass of benthic species i per unit area (g / m²). i Let be the wet weight (g) of benthic species i, and S be the effective attachment area on the reef (m²). The biomass per unit area of all benthic species is summed using the formula: Where B is the total benthic biomass per unit area (g / m²), B iThe total benthic biomass per unit area of the sampling region is calculated as the benthic species i biomass per unit area (g / m²). The total biomass is calculated for multiple replicate quadrats at the same sampling point, and the average value is taken as the final total biomass result for that sampling point. Total biomass data comprehensively reflects the overall productivity level of the benthic community in the sampling area, providing a comprehensive indicator for assessing the health status of coral reef ecosystems.
[0126] In some embodiments, it also includes:
[0127] To assess benthic species density, density is calculated based on information such as reef coverage, effective reef attachment area, and species quantity in the sampling area, yielding the benthic species density per unit area.
[0128] Specifically, benthic species density per unit area can be the number of individuals of a particular benthic species within a unit area of sea. For example, the density calculation formula is P. i =C×n i / S, where P i n represents the density of benthic species i per unit area (individuals / m²), C represents the reef coverage of the sampling area, and n represents the density of benthic species i per unit area (individuals / m²). i Let i be the number of benthic species (individuals), and S be the effective attachment area on the reef (m²).
[0129] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0130] This invention provides a method for assessing benthic biomass in coral reef areas. The overall implementation process is as follows: Figure 1 As shown in the figure. This method assesses benthic biomass through standardized reef sampling, parameter measurement, and multi-index coupled calculation.
[0131] Stratified random sampling was used to set up sampling points in typical coral reef habitats, including reef flats, reef slopes, and lagoons. Three replicate transects were set up at each sampling point, and six to eight replicate quadrats were set up within each transect. A handheld underwater camera was used at a vertical height of approximately 30 cm above the measuring tape for uniform shooting, with each transect's shooting time controlled to approximately 20 minutes. After shooting, intact reef samples were collected from the quadrats using a geological hammer and chisel, avoiding damage to benthic organisms attached to the reef surface. Immediately after collection, the reef samples were placed in sealed sampling bags, labeled with the sampling point number, habitat type, sampling time, and location information. Sampling was consistently conducted within the same season to avoid interference from temperature and light environmental factors on biomass assessment results. This embodiment selected the reef slope habitat of a typical coral reef in the South China Sea as the study area, with three replicate transects set up at each sampling point and six replicate quadrats within each transect. Sampling began uniformly at 9:00 AM. The collected reef samples are shown below. Figure 2As shown, it includes reef S1-1, reef S1-2, reef S1-3, reef S1-4, reef S1-5, and reef S1-6.
[0132] The captured transect images were copied to a dedicated computer for playback, and the number of reef occurrences at each 0.1m interval was recorded. The number of reef occurrences (N) recorded for each monitoring transect was used to calculate the reef coverage rate (C) of the sampling area: C = N / 600 × 100%. The reef occurrence counts and coverage rates for each sample in this embodiment are shown in Table 1.
[0133] The reef sample was removed from the sealed sampling bag, and its length L, width W, and height H were measured using calipers. Each parameter was measured three times, and the average value was taken. The effective attachment area S of the reef was calculated based on its morphology. If the reef is a regular geometric shape, the effective attachment area S = 2 × L × W + L × H + W × H. If the reef is an irregular geometric shape, a handheld laser 3D scanner was used for measurement. The irregular reef sample was placed on a flat measuring platform, and the height of the laser 3D scanner was adjusted so that the scanning lens was vertically aligned with the center of the sample. The distance was controlled at 1.0 m, the scanning resolution was set to 0.1 mm, and the scanning program was started to perform a 360° omnidirectional scan around the sample. The scanner's accompanying data processing software was used to denoise, stitch, and smooth the acquired 3D point cloud data, remove invalid point clouds, and extract the complete outline of the reef surface from which organisms can attach. The software automatically calculated and output the effective attachment area S. In this embodiment, the reefs in the survey area were irregular geometric shapes, and the effective attachment area was measured using the 3D laser point cloud method. The results are shown in Table 1.
[0134] Table 1 Reef Parameters
[0135] After measuring the reef samples, place them on the worktable. Using tweezers, a small shovel, and a hammer, first, carefully peel off the benthic organisms attached to the reef surface according to species. Then, chisel open the reef to remove the benthic organisms residing inside. Isolate invertebrates such as gastropods, bivalves, bryozoans, sponges, oligochaetes, and large algae. Remove reef debris, sediment, and other non-target impurities to ensure the collection is a pure biological sample. Record the species i and the number n. i The isolated benthic organisms, such as Figure 3 As shown in Table 2, the number of benthic species in each sample is as follows.
[0136] Table 2. Number of benthic species (individuals) ; Note: "-" indicates that the species has not been observed.
[0137] Surface moisture was treated in the separated species i sample using centrifugation. The sample was placed in a pre-weighed centrifuge tube with a filter membrane of suitable pore size, and then placed in a benchtop centrifuge. The relative centrifugal force RCF was set to 150 × g, and the centrifugation time was 3 min. After centrifugation, the centrifuge tube was removed, and the total weight of the centrifuge tube plus the biological sample was quickly weighed using an electronic balance. The weight of the centrifuge tube itself was then subtracted. Each sample was centrifuged and weighed twice, and the average value was recorded as the wet weight Wi of species i sample, in grams. The wet weight results of the benthic species for each sample in this embodiment are shown in Table 3.
[0138] Table 3 Wet weight (g) of benthic species ; Note: "-" indicates that no species wet weight data is available.
[0139] Combining the above measurement parameters, using formula B i =C×W i / S Calculate benthic species biomass per unit area (i) B i This enables the assessment of benthic species biomass. Among them, B... i The biomass of benthic species i per unit area is expressed in g / m², C is the reef coverage of the sampling area, and W is the biomass of benthic species i per unit area. i Σi represents the wet weight of benthic species i in grams, and S represents the effective attachment area on the reef in m². To assess the total benthic biomass of the sampling area, use the formula... Calculate, where B is the total benthic biomass per unit area, in g / m². The biomass of benthic species i per unit area is expressed in g / m². To assess the density of benthic species i, use the formula P. i =C×n i / S calculation, where P i The density of benthic species i per unit area is expressed as individuals / m², and C is the reef coverage of the sampling area. i The number of benthic species i is expressed in units, and S is the effective attachment area on the reef in m². The biomass results of benthic species for each sample in this embodiment are shown in Table 4. Table 4 shows that the biomass of benthic organisms in the coral reef area, including shrimp, crabs, bivalves, snails, oligochaetes, echinoderms, polyplasts, porous organisms, and macroalgae, are 4.22, 7.25, 4.28, 1.01, 14.82, 6.26, 4.73, 10.90, and 2.77 g / m², respectively, with a total biomass of 56.24 g / m².
[0140] Table 4 Benthic biomass (g / m³) 2 ) ; Note: "-" indicates that no species biomass data is available.
[0141] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.
[0142] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical concept and features of the present invention, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made based on the essence of the content of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for assessing benthic biomass in coral reef areas, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Complete reef samples were obtained by collecting reef quadrats in typical habitats of the coral reef area. The reef coverage rate was determined by interpreting transect images, and the reef coverage rate of the sampling area was obtained. The effective attachment area of the intact reef sample is measured to obtain the effective attachment area of the reef. Benthic organisms were isolated and collected from the complete reef samples to obtain classified benthic organism samples and species quantity information; The classified benthic organism samples were subjected to moisture treatment and weighing to obtain the wet weight of the benthic species. Biomass per unit area of benthic species is calculated based on the reef coverage rate of the sampling area, the effective attachment area of the reef, and the wet weight of the benthic species.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for collecting reef sample plots include: Rock sample collection should be carried out uniformly in the same season; Stratified random sampling was used to set up sampling points in typical habitats of the coral reef area. Multiple sample bands were set at the sampling points; Multiple quadrats were set up in the transect; Underwater photography of the transect was conducted before collecting rock sample plots. Maintain a constant shooting speed while keeping the vertical distance between the underwater camera and the measuring tape within a preset range; By controlling the shooting time of the sample tape within a preset range, sample tape images are obtained; Collect intact reef samples from the quadrat and seal them for preservation; After sealing and preserving, complete reef samples are labeled with sample point number, habitat type, sampling time, and latitude and longitude to obtain complete reef sample and sampling label information.
3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the reef coverage includes: Intermittent reef occurrence analysis was performed on the transect images to determine the number of reef occurrences. The reef coverage rate of the sampling area is obtained by calculating the proportion of the number of times the reefs appear.
4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of measuring the effective attachment area of the intact reef sample includes: Measure the length, width, and height parameters of complete reef samples with regular geometric shapes; The length, width, and height parameters were measured multiple times and the average value was calculated. The effective attachment area of the regular reef sample is obtained by substituting the average value into the area formula.
5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of measuring the effective attachment area of the intact reef sample includes: For complete reef samples with irregular geometric shapes, the effective attachment area was measured using three-dimensional laser scanning technology; Among them, scanning equipment was used to perform a full-range scan of a complete reef sample with an irregular geometric shape to obtain three-dimensional point cloud data; Preprocess the 3D point cloud data to extract the contour information of all attached surfaces on the surface of the complete reef sample with irregular geometric shape; The effective attachment area of the irregular reef sample is calculated based on the contour information.
6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of separating and collecting benthic organisms from the intact reef sample includes: Benthic organisms attached to the surface of intact reef samples were removed; The complete reef sample was chiseled open and the benthic organisms living inside were removed; The isolated benthic organisms were classified and collected according to species. After removing non-target impurities from the classified material, a pure sample of classified benthic organisms is obtained. Record the number of various benthic organisms to obtain species quantity information.
7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps of water treatment and weighing the classified benthic organism samples include: For the classified benthic organism samples, centrifugation was used to standardize surface moisture. The sorted benthic organism samples were placed in pre-weighed centrifuge containers, each containing a filter with a suitable pore size. Place the centrifuge container containing the classified benthic organism samples into the centrifuge equipment; Standardized centrifugation parameters were set to centrifuge benthic organism samples in centrifuge containers to obtain benthic organism samples that had undergone water treatment.
8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The steps of water treatment and weighing the classified benthic organism samples include: Perform horizontal calibration and blank zeroing on the electronic balance; The benthic organism samples that had undergone water treatment were weighed multiple times. The average of multiple weighing results is calculated to obtain the wet weight of the benthic species.
9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The total biomass of benthic species per unit area is obtained by summing the biomass of benthic species per unit area.
10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Density was calculated based on information on reef coverage, effective attachment area on reefs, and species abundance in the sampling area to obtain the benthic species density per unit area.