Clark, R., Schull, J. C. and C. Jeffrey

NOAA's new island-wide reef fish and coral monitoring program in the US Caribbean

2014

Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute

In Book of Abstracts. The 67th Annual Meeting of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. Bridgetown, Barbados, November 3-7, 2014; hosted by the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), University of the West Indies (UWI)

41-41

"NOAAs Coral Reef Conservation Program has developed a national coral reef fish and coral monitoring plan throughout the US Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean. The goal of the monitoring plan is to use consistent and standardized approaches to collect biological, oceanographic, and socioeconomic information at island-wide scales that will help coastal managers gauge the status, trends, and conditions of US coral reef ecosystems. Biological monitoring of fish and benthic communities began in 2013, and will occur bi-annually in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Southeast Florida reef tract, and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Monitoring occurs through in-situ visual scuba surveys based on stratified random sampling designed for hardbottom areas up to depths of 100 feet (30.5 m). Abundance and size structure of all fish species and trophic groups are being recorded as well as percent cover of dominant benthic communities (corals, sponges, gorgonians). Additionally, fish diversity metrics (e.g. richness) and key species (groupers/snappers) will be key indicators of ecosystem status. Coral abundance, size structure, and condition are also being monitored independently from fish surveys. Collectively these data are meant to complement existing jurisdictional monitoring that when combined can provide meaningful status and trends information at island scale. Here, we present preliminary data from our USVI 2013 surveys and provide guidance and information on logistics, coordination, and partnership development. We also demonstrate the utility of these data to inform coastal managers about the status and condition of coral reef ecosystems within their jurisdictions and the need for collaboration."

National Coral Reef Monitoring Plan (NCRMP); biological monitoring; NOAA; fish; coral; monitoring; ecosystem

FY2014 CRCP Project ID 743; Project Title: National Coral Reef Monitoring Plan (NCRMP) Implementation (Biological Monitoring); Principal Investigator: Jessica Morgan