Florida Keys Coral Reef Monitoring

Tracking changes in benthic community structure since 1998

Our monitoring program began in 1998 with pilot studies to design a long-term program. Our first sampling was conventional, laying ten transects at each reef. After consulting Dr. Jerry Ault at the U. of Miami, we decided to use sample design statistics to allocate our monitoring sites throughout the Keys. Instead of sampling intensely at fewer locations, we took a larger, system-wide view and visited hundreds of sites.

We sampled spur-and-groove habitats, hardbottoms, and patch reefs. We sampled from nearshore to offshore, from Key Biscayne to Key West, and out to the Dry Tortugas. When we first started, underwater video was popular among diving scientists who monitored reefs. Tapes were analyzed in the laboratory. Our team, by contrast, had the taxonomic expertise to identify species while diving, using pencils and slates to record data.

We sampled as many sites as possible, given funding and the need to obtain variance terms (Coefficient of Variance) sufficient to detect ecologically relevant differences among habitat types and over time. We were especially interested in what happened to benthic communities inside and outside newly established marine protected areas throughout the sanctuary. We didn’t sample the reefs every year, but we sampled often enough to document dramatic changes over the last 25 years. We published Quick Look Reports within months of completing fieldwork and significant peer-reviewed publications.