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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History


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GLOBAL ARMS PROGRAM


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RESEARCH

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 3. Global ARMS Program


HOW DO WE MEASURE THE HEALTH OF THE OCEAN?

Counting species is hard, as most are poorly known. But new tools and approaches
allow us to take a better picture of marine communities and compare species that
live there over time and space. 

Our program aims to standardize marine biodiversity assessment and monitoring to
document our changing ocean. We use Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS)
to take the pulse of an ecosystem. We marry simple tools to new technologies to
census marine communities all around the globe. 

The key innovation is a network of standard sites measuring marine life the same
way. Using DNA-sequencing technology and comparative imaging, standardized,
quantifiable biodiversity metrics can determine trends in ocean health and
predict future ocean states. 


What is an Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structure?

Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) are standardized 3D collectors of
marine life. They are stacks of plates that mimic the complex structure of the
sea bottom that is hard to sample without destroying natural habitat. Think of
them like mini-hotels that provide hard surfaces and nooks and crannies that sea
creatures like to live on and among.

What do ARMS do?

ARMS act as biological weather stations. They are deployed for a period of time,
then recovered by a team and taken apart to see who moved in. ARMS recruit local
species to provide a flavor of that particular region. This standard census
allows researchers to compare one place to another or how one place changes over
time, based on these ARMS communities.

Where are the ARMS?

ARMS are located in clusters all over the world, from the poles to the tropics,
and from the intertidal to the deep sea. They are usually deployed in triplicate
to provide statistical power and replication, and to test the level of variation
at any one site. Check out our map to see where researchers have deployed ARMS. 

What can ARMS tell us?

ARMS can tell us how marine communities respond to different ocean conditions or
how management practices affect ocean health. For instance, ARMS can demonstrate
the effectiveness of marine protected areas or the impact of ocean stressors
like pollution or ocean acidification. Knowing how marine species will respond
to different ocean states can help us predict and plan actions for a healthier
planet.  


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