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Purpose
Coral reef ecosystem management benefits from continual, quantitative assessment
of the resources being managed, plus assessment of factors that affect distribution
patterns of organisms in the ecosystem. In this study, we investigated the relationships
among physical, benthic, and fish variables in effort to help explain the distribution
patterns of ecologically and economically important species on twelve patch reefs
within Biscayne National Park (BNP), Florida, U.S.A. We visited 196 randomly-located
sampling stations across twelve shallow (< 10m) patch reefs, using SCUBA to conduct
our surveys. We measured physical variables (e.g., substratum type), estimated the
percent cover of benthic community members (e.g., coral, algae), and counted and
estimated mean size for each fish species observed. We also used high-density
bathymetric data collected remotely via airborne laser surveying (Experimental Advanced
Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL)) to calculate rugosity (bumpiness) of the reef habitat.
Here we present our findings visually by graphing our quantitative community and physical
structure data simultaneously in a GIS
map format. You will see that biological
organisms arrange themselves on each patch reef in a non-random manner. For example,
many species of fish prefer to locate themselves in areas of the reef where the rugosity
index is high. Rugose parts of the reef provide them with good hiding places from
predators.
These maps (and the data used to create them) are permanent records of the status of
reef resources found on these twelve patch reefs in BNP
as of September, 2003. The
survey data found in the shapefile located on this CD product includes benthic percent
cover data for algae, coral, encrusting invertebrates, and substratum type, in addition
to gorgonian abundance and volume, total fish abundance and species richness, and
specific counts for Acanthurids (surgeonfish), Scarids (parrotfish), Lutjanids (snappers),
Haemulids (grunts), Serranids (groupers), and Pomacentrids (damselfish).
For further reading, please see:
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Kuffner IB, Brock JC, Grober-Dunsmore R, Bonito VE, Hickey TD, Wright CW (2007)
Relationships between reef fish communities and remotely sensed rugosity
measurements in Biscayne National Park, Florida, U.S.A. Environmental Biology
of Fishes 78: 71-82
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Kuffner IB, Brock JC, Grober-Dunsmore LE, Bonito VE, Hickey TD (in USGS review)
Patch reef community structure in Biscayne National Park, Florida, U.S.A.
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