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National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef benthic communities in the Florida Reef Tract

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 03, 2026 at 08:14 AM | Dataset Last Updated: September 26, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Benthic survey data provided in this collection of datasets are from three (3) distinct regions along the Florida reef tract; 1) Dry Tortugas, 2) Florida Keys from Key West north to Miami, and 3) Miami north to Martin County. Lead agencies involved include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NOAA Fisheries) and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). The Benthic Assessment (BA) is the first of two benthic surveys conducted in Florida as part of the ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). Benthic Assessment provides benthic cover estimates for ecologically important cover types/groups (e.g., macroalgae, turf algae, crustose coralline algae, corals, sponges, sand/sediment, etc.) using a 1-stage stratified random survey design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats less than 30m in depth. The goals of these surveys are to provide: (1) a quantification of percent cover of biotic and abiotic benthic components using a linear point intercept (LPI) method; (2) information on topographic complexity (substratum rugosity) of the survey locations (3) quantitative information on local commercially and ecologically-important macroinvertebrates (Caribbean spiny lobster [Panulirus argus], queen conch [Strombus gigas], long-spined sea urchin [Diadema antillarum]); and (4) presence-absence information for ESA-listed Threatened corals. Surveys are concurrent with and along the same transect with Coral Demographic surveys. The Coral Demographic method is the second of two benthic surveys conducted along the Florida reef tract as part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). The goal of the coral demographic surveys is to collect and report information on species composition, density, size, abundance, and specific parameters of condition (% live vs. dead, bleaching, disease) of non-juvenile scleractinian corals (>4 cm maximum diameter), and of overall species diversity (all corals) using 10m x 1m belt transects in a stratified random sampling design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats less than 30m in depth. Surveys are concurrent with and along the same transect of the Benthic Assessment surveys, including the Line Point-Intercept (LPI) survey.

Resources

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  • CRCP FL Inverts ESA Corals

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  • CRCP FL Coral Demographics

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  • CRCP FL Benthic Cover

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  • NCEI Dataset Landing Page

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  • Granule Search

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  • NCRMP Florida Biological Monitoring Protocols

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  • National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef communities in Florida using Benthic Assessment methods

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  • National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef communities in Florida using the Coral Demographics methods

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  • OBIS USA: NCRMP Benthic Variables in Darwin Core Format

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  • https://doi.org/10.25923/9jns-v916

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  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

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  • NCEI Contact Information

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  • NOAA Library website

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0156879 0169401 0208322 0253452 0282195 0306238 BENTHIC SPECIES BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA COUNTS

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@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
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describedByType application/octet-steam
description Benthic survey data provided in this collection of datasets are from three (3) distinct regions along the Florida reef tract; 1) Dry Tortugas, 2) Florida Keys from Key West north to Miami, and 3) Miami north to Martin County. Lead agencies involved include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NOAA Fisheries) and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). The Benthic Assessment (BA) is the first of two benthic surveys conducted in Florida as part of the ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). Benthic Assessment provides benthic cover estimates for ecologically important cover types/groups (e.g., macroalgae, turf algae, crustose coralline algae, corals, sponges, sand/sediment, etc.) using a 1-stage stratified random survey design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats less than 30m in depth. The goals of these surveys are to provide: (1) a quantification of percent cover of biotic and abiotic benthic components using a linear point intercept (LPI) method; (2) information on topographic complexity (substratum rugosity) of the survey locations (3) quantitative information on local commercially and ecologically-important macroinvertebrates (Caribbean spiny lobster [Panulirus argus], queen conch [Strombus gigas], long-spined sea urchin [Diadema antillarum]); and (4) presence-absence information for ESA-listed Threatened corals. Surveys are concurrent with and along the same transect with Coral Demographic surveys. The Coral Demographic method is the second of two benthic surveys conducted along the Florida reef tract as part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). The goal of the coral demographic surveys is to collect and report information on species composition, density, size, abundance, and specific parameters of condition (% live vs. dead, bleaching, disease) of non-juvenile scleractinian corals (>4 cm maximum diameter), and of overall species diversity (all corals) using 10m x 1m belt transects in a stratified random sampling design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats less than 30m in depth. Surveys are concurrent with and along the same transect of the Benthic Assessment surveys, including the Line Point-Intercept (LPI) survey.
distribution 
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identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions/iso/xml/NCRMP-Benthic-Florida.xml
issued 2016-11-02T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
[
  "0156879",
  "0169401",
  "0208322",
  "0253452",
  "0282195",
  "0306238",
  "BENTHIC SPECIES",
  "BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA COUNTS",
  "biological data",
  "CORAL",
  "CORAL - BLEACHING",
  "CORAL - CENSUS",
  "CORAL - COLONY SIZE",
  "CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION",
  "HABITAT - BENTHIC",
  "MACROINVERTEBRATE CENSUS",
  "SPECIES COUNT PER SAMPLE",
  "swimmer/diver",
  "visual observation",
  "benthic",
  "biological",
  "in situ",
  "survey",
  "survey - biological",
  "survey - coral reef",
  "survey - swimmer/diver",
  "NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science",
  "NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center",
  "NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center Miami Laboratory",
  "NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science",
  "NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center",
  "Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)",
  "CORAL REEF STUDIES",
  "National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP)",
  "Coastal Waters of Florida",
  "Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Gulf of Mexico",
  "North Atlantic Ocean",
  "oceanography",
  "Broward County",
  "Florida Department of Environmental Protection",
  "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission",
  "Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Miami-Dade County",
  "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center",
  "National Park Service",
  "Nova Southeastern University",
  "US Environmental Protection Agency",
  "University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science",
  "Broward County",
  "Florida Department of Environmental Protection",
  "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission",
  "Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Miami-Dade County",
  "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center",
  "National Park Service",
  "Nova Southeastern University",
  "SEFSC",
  "Southeast Fisheries Science Center",
  "US Envrionmental Protection Agency",
  "University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science",
  "University of the Virgin Islands",
  "DOC/NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC > Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "743",
  "National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP)",
  "CP Project #743 National Coral Reef Monitoring Plan (NCRMP) Implementation",
  "NCCOS Project #180 National Coral Reef Monitoring Program Implementation: Biological and Socioeconomic Monitoring",
  "US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS/SEFSC)",
  "Numeric Data Sets > Benthic",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat > Description",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species Richness",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases > Bleaching",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > ESA Listed Species",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Belt Transect",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Linear Transect (point)",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Coral Colony Size and Condition",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Scleractinia (stony corals)",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover Dead percentage",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover Live percentage",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > CORAL REEFS > CORAL BLEACHING",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS",
  "NCCOS Research Data Type > Field Observation",
  "NCCOS Research Data Type > Long-term Monitoring",
  "NCCOS Research Priority > Marine Spatial Ecology",
  "NCCOS Research Topic > Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments",
  "Marine Spatial Ecology > Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments",
  "Field Observation",
  "Long-term Monitoring",
  "VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS",
  "Diver Visual Survey",
  "Diver Visual measurement",
  "Small Boats",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Florida > Florida Reef Tract (26N080W0007)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Florida > Monroe County > Dry Tortugas (24N082W0001)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Florida > Monroe County > Florida Keys (24N081W0007)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > North Atlantic Ocean > Florida Reef Tract (26N080W0007)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > North Atlantic Ocean > Florida Reef Tract > Dry Tortugas > Dry Tortugas (24N082W0001)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > North Atlantic Ocean > Florida Reef Tract > Florida Keys (24N081W0007)",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF AMERICA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF MEXICO",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States of America > Florida",
  "NCCOS Research Locations > Region > Atlantic Ocean",
  "U.S. States and Territories > Florida",
  "Waterbodies > Atlantic Ocean",
  "Dry Tortugas",
  "Florida Keys Reef Tract",
  "Miami north to Martin County",
  "Biennial",
  "04WM88",
  "0GPJU4",
  "21CX93",
  "765HAL",
  "9C2WLU",
  "JXME65"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
[]
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2025-09-26T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
{
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
[
  "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0157633/data/0-data/Atlantic/Biological/Florida/",
  "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/50832",
  "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/50833",
  "https://obis.org/institute/23174",
  "https://doi.org/10.25923/9jns-v916"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial -80.0163,24.4239,-83.1036,26.2592
temporal 2014-05-01T00:00:00+00:00/2014-05-01T00:00:00+00:00
theme 
[
  "geospatial"
]
title National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef benthic communities in the Florida Reef Tract

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