22437 Surveillance of wild and outplanted staghorn coral (A.cervicornis) Project Published / External 65605 Other Protected Resources Projects Project Completed We developed a method for quantifying the abundance of the threatened staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) and evaluated the accuracy of commonly used methods to assess colony condition. For small- to medium-sized colonies, we show that colony ellipsoid volume estimated from simple colony dimensions serves as a reliable and efficient proxy for the more time-consuming, conventional measure of colony total linear extension, and that this predictive relationship varies significantly among extant populations in the Caribbean. We also determined that visual estimates of colony partial mortality closely approximate to true values for colonies with <25% mortality, with in situ estimates outperforming estimates from digital images. These results provide coral reef managers and restoration practitioners with guidance for assessing partial mortality and location-specific regression models to estimate amount of staghorn coral in both extant and restored staghorn populations in Belize, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, U.S.A. As staghorn coral monitoring and restoration efforts continue to expand in the Caribbean, these methods for quickly determining staghorn abundance and condition will directly aid resource managers tasked with monitoring wild populations and tracking restoration success over time. To developed a method for quantifying the abundance of the threatened staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) and evaluated the accuracy of commonly used methods to assess colony condition. For small- to medium-sized colonies, we show that colony ellipsoid volume estimated from simple colony dimensions serves as a reliable and efficient proxy for the more time-consuming, conventional measure of colony total linear extension, and that this predictive relationship varies significantly among extant populations in the Caribbean. We also determined that visual estimates of colony partial mortality closely approximate to true values for colonies with <25% mortality, with in situ estimates outperforming estimates from digital images. These results provide coral reef managers and restoration practitioners with guidance for assessing partial mortality and location-specific regression models to estimate amount of staghorn coral in both extant and restored staghorn populations in Belize, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, U.S.A. As staghorn coral monitoring and restoration efforts continue to expand in the Caribbean, these methods for quickly determining staghorn abundance and condition will directly aid resource managers tasked with monitoring wild populations and tracking restoration success over time. Theme A. cervicornis Theme Brittany Huntington Theme Coral restoration Theme Disease Theme Predation Temporal 2011-2012 Spatial Aquarius Reef Spatial CRF Nursery Spatial Conch Shallow Reef Spatial KL Dry Rocks Spatial Little Conch Reef Spatial Molasses Reef Spatial Nursery Reef Spatial Pickles Reef Spatial Tav Patch A Spatial Tav Patch B Southeast Fisheries Science Center Miami FL USA -80.475 -80.3725 25.12917 24.9467 Reef sites in the upper Keys ranging from Conch reef to Key Largo Dry Rocks; specifically Reef Names Molasses Aquarius Conch Shallow KL Dry Rocks Tav Patch A Tav Patch B Little Conch CRF Nursery Unclassified To fishery Scientists and other qualified researchers upon request Contact Data Manager None Please cite appropriately Data set is not for use in litigation. While efforts have been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages or misrepresentations caused by inaccuracies in these data, or as a result of these data being used on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does distribution constitute any such warranty None Please Cite Appropriately 24307 Data Set 22438 Data Set gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:22437 Lee Weinberger 2014-10-31T10:14:18 SysAdmin InPortAdmin 2022-08-09T17:11:05 2022-04-27 Southeast Fisheries Science Center SEFSC 75 Virginia Beach Drive Miami FL 33149 USA (305)361-5761 www.sefsc.noaa.gov 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST 1001 Public No 2022-04-27 1 Year 2023-04-27