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

Metadata Updated: February 1, 2025

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.

Access & Use Information

License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Date 2025-01-14T16:22:05Z
Metadata Created Date December 4, 2020
Metadata Updated Date February 1, 2025
Reference Date(s) March 7, 2018 (publication), September 19, 2023 (revision)
Frequency Of Update asNeeded

Metadata Source

Harvested from NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions

Graphic Preview

Preview graphic

Additional Metadata

Resource Type Series
Metadata Date 2025-01-14T16:22:05Z
Metadata Created Date December 4, 2020
Metadata Updated Date February 1, 2025
Reference Date(s) March 7, 2018 (publication), September 19, 2023 (revision)
Responsible Party (Point of Contact)
Contact Email
Guid gov.noaa.nodc:NCRMP-Benthic-Florida
Access Constraints Cite as: NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center; NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (2018). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef benthic communities in the Florida Reef Tract. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5xw4h4z. Accessed [date]., Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Bbox East Long -80.0163
Bbox North Lat 26.2592
Bbox South Lat 24.4239
Bbox West Long -83.1036
Coupled Resource
Frequency Of Update asNeeded
Graphic Preview Description Preview graphic
Graphic Preview File https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/gfx?id=gov.noaa.nodc:NCRMP-Benthic-Florida
Graphic Preview Type PNG
Harvest Object Id c2c9a2f7-1a92-412e-a31a-a776076c3c63
Harvest Source Id c084a438-6f6b-470d-93e0-16aeddb9f513
Harvest Source Title NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions
Licence accessLevel: Public
Lineage
Metadata Language eng
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-83.1036, 24.4239], [-80.0163, 24.4239], [-80.0163, 26.2592], [-83.1036, 26.2592], [-83.1036, 24.4239]]]}
Progress onGoing
Spatial Data Service Type
Spatial Reference System
Spatial Harvester True
Temporal Extent Begin 2014-05-01

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