This work details the effects of disturbance events on tropical coral reefs and highlights emerging techniques for improved monitoring and assessment of benthic change. The first chapter is in the form of a literature review, which aims to give a broad introduction to reef ecology, the impacts experienced by this system, and the methods used to monitor and assess change. The second chapter highlights a recently developed photogrammetric methodology which can be used to assess change in the marine environment. The methodology is then assessed for accuracy and comparability to standard benthic monitoring techniques. // The proceeding four chapters aim to address a number of ecological and management questions relating to reef community ecology, focussing on physical structure and demonstrating the utility of ‘Structure from Motion’ (SfM) photogrammetry as a monitoring and assessment tool. Chapters three and four more specifically use community managed small-scale Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Philippines as a case study applying SfM, and assess the effectiveness of these MPAs. These chapters further highlight how physical changes can affect the function of the reefs and their associated fisheries. Chapters five and six then investigate how extreme climatic events can affect the structure and growth of reefs in the Indian Ocean, away from the array of confounding anthropogenic factors seen in the Philippines. // The final section looks to bring together these chapters to discuss the benefits of new technology, and the future of reefs under a changing climate
