National Coral Reef Monitoring Program:
Tracking Biological Trends
Divers begin by laying out transect lines at predetermined locations to guide the coral reef surveys.
Fishing pressures, climate change, and pollution are just some of the many stressors on marine life within coral reef ecosystems. Researchers identified the following biological indicators to assess the condition of coral reefs and associated reef fish communities.
Reef fish – reef-related fish diversity, distribution, abundance, and size
Habitats – composition, complexity, and key species
Data are collected through diving surveys of shallow-water (0-30 meters) areas. Scientists and coastal managers then use these data to evaluate coral reef and fish population management strategies, document endangered or invasive marine species, and assist with local monitoring efforts.
Grove, L. J. W., Blondeau, J., Cain, E., Edwards, K. F., Groves, S. H., Hile, S. D., Langwiser, C., Siceloff, L., Swanson,
D. W., Towle, E. K., Viehman, T. S., and Williams, B. National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, Biological
Monitoring Summary – U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico: 2021. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS CRCP
46 pp. https://doi.org/10.25923/zj1v-z618
Grove, L.J.W., J. Blondeau, E. Cain, I.M. Davis, K.F. Edwards, S.H. Groves, S.D. Hile, C. Langwiser, L. Siceloff, D.W. Swanson, E.K. Towle, S.T. Viehman, B. Williams. 2022. National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, Biological monitoring summary - Florida: 2020–2021. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS CRCP 44. 52 pp. doi: 10.25923/9jns-v916
Edwards, K.F., J. Blondeau, L.J.W. Grove, S.H. Groves, S.D. Hile, M.W. Johnson, C. Langwiser, L. Siceloff, E.K. Towle, T.S. Viehman, and B. Williams. 2021. National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, Biological monitoring summary – U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico: 2019. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS CRCP 40. 27 pp. doi: 10.25923/fdp6-qv15
K. McCoy, J. Asher, P. Ayotte, A. Gray, T. Kindinger, and I. Williams. 2019. Reef fishes and benthic habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands. PIFSC data report DR-19-039. https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/22057.
K. McCoy, J. Asher, P. Ayotte, A. Gray, K. Lino, T. Kindinger, and I. Williams. 2018. Reef fishes and benthic habitats of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and American Samoa. PIFSC data report DR-19-008. https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/19591.
Heenan A, Williams ID, Acoba T, DesRochers A, Kosaki RK, Kanemura T, Nadon MO, Brainard RE. 2017. Long-term monitoring of coral reef fish assemblages in the Western central pacific. Scientific Data. 4:170176. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.176.
Williams ID, Baum JK, Heenan A, Hanson KM, Nadon MO, Brainard RE (2015) Human, Oceanographic and Habitat Drivers of Central and Western Pacific Coral Reef Fish Assemblages. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0120516. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0120516
Supporting Documentation (Please note this encompasses only a subset of documentation for the submitted data. Contact the data providers with further questions.)