Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project Florida Keys 2001

Study Extent

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project (FKNMS CREMP) sampling sites and stations were selected and installed in 1995. Originally 40 sites and 160 stations were selected for monitoring. The original 40 CREMP sampling sites were selected using a stratified, or layered, random sampling procedure based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Mapping and Assessment Program (EMAP). External Website Stratification, or the arrangement of the layers, was based on habitat type, with four main habitat types defined: nearshore hardbottom, patch reefs, offshore shallow reefs (roughly 10 to 20 feet of depth), and offshore deep reefs (about 30 or 50 feet deep). While sampling sites were selected in a random matter, stations were installed with the intention of monitoring specific aspects of the selected habitats. In 1999 three sites totaling 12 stations were installed and sampled in the Dry Tortugas as part of the FKNMS CREMP monitoring, for a total of 43 sites and 172 stations. Of the three Dry Tortugas sites, one site with four stations is located in the northern Dry Tortugas Ecological Reserve and two sites with eight stations are located within the Dry Tortugas National Park. These sites and stations were selected as representative samples of coral reefs in the Dry Tortugas. Prior to sampling in 2001 statistical analysis of previous CREMP data indicated that sampling effort could be reduced without significantly affecting the outcome of analyses; 55 stations and three sites were removed from the survey. One additional site with two stations was dropped prior to each of the 2006 and 2008 sampling events. At least two stations are surveyed at the remaining survey sites. For FKNMS CREMP there are currently 38 sites with a total 113 stations. There are two nearshore hardbottom sites with seven stations, 11 patch reef sites with 33 stations, 12 offshore shallow reef sites with 39 stations and 13 offshore deep reef sites with 34 stations. FKNMS CREMP sites are represented by black triangles on the map below. In 2008 there will be an additional six sites with two stations each installed and surveyed at patch reefs within Hawk Channel, several kilometers offshore, in order to provide additional monitoring for this diverse area. Hawk Channel sites will be selected as representative samples of their specific areas

Sampling

CREMP sites consist of two to four monitoring stations delimited by permanent markers. Stations are approximately 2m x 22m and are generally perpendicular to the shoreline. Three video transecs (bentic survey), a station species inventory (SSI), and a clioniad sponge survey are conducted annually at each station.

Quality Control

The data sets includes data from only the 1/3 of the transect that has always been surveyed for all survey stations. This is reflected in the number of points counted for each station. This way all years of the survey are directly comparable as the data reflects the same survey area (Mike Collela).

Method steps

1. NA

Florida Keys, Florida, United States