ABSTRACT
Trends in coral reef injury assessment and restoration are broad and can encompass many varied goals and objectives. Injury to coral reefs can occur by many means, natural and anthropogenic, and from direct insult and cumulative nonpoint sources. Physical insults to coral reefs include natural events such as hurricanes and typhoons, and injury from anchors, divers, boat hulls, destructive fishing techniques, dredging, coral mining, and installation of underwater pipelines and cables. Restoration projects for physical damage vary based on the degree of injury, environmental factors that influence the potential success of the project, and the means available to those undertaking the project. This chapter will focus primarily on injuries resulting from direct anthropogenic physical insults such as vessel groundings, since much of the current understanding of restoration stems from attempts to restore damages from large vessel groundings.
