2019 Benthic Assessment Protocols for the Atlantic Region: U.S. Caribbean, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico:

The National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) is a broad-spatial snapshot for reef condition (i.e., fish species composition/density/size, benthic cover, and coral density/size/condition) to provide context for local-scale studies of tropical reef ecosystems. Data collection will occur at stratified random sites where the sampling domain for each region (e.g., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Flower Garden Banks (FGB) and Florida) is partitioned by habitat type and depth, sub-regional location (e.g., along-shelf position) and management zone. NCRMP will provide broader geographic context to supplement local monitoring efforts aLine point-intercept (LPI) sampling, the main component of the Benthic Assessment protocols, provides benthic cover estimates for ecologically important cover types/groups (e.g., macroalgae, turf algae, crustose coralline algae, corals, sponges, sand/sediment, etc.). This method is complementary to the NCRMP Coral Demographics sampling method that collects detailed information on scleractinian corals, including density, size and condition (percent mortality and bleaching) measurements (Refer to Coral Demographic Survey Protocol for the Atlantic Region: U.S. Caribbean, Florida and Gulf of Mexico: 2019).

As a result of NCRMP standardization throughout the project's regions (e.g. Florida and Pacific regions), the protocols previously known as the LPI Survey Protocols have been renamed to Benthic Assessment Protocols. Most notably, changes to the document format and sections have been re-formatted to identify the four main components of the Benthic Assessment protocols. Specific differences in methodologies between regions, where applicable, are noted within the protocols and studies of tropical reef ecosystems.

The goals of these surveys are to provide: (1) a quantification of percent cover of biotic and abiotic benthic components using the LPI method; (2) information on topographic complexity (substratum rugosity) of the survey locations where Benthic Assessment and Coral Demographic surveys are completed; (3) quantitative information on local commercially and ecologically-important macroinvertebrates (lobster, conch, urchin); and (4) presenceabsence information for ESA-listed corals on hardbottom and coral reef habitats in Florida, U.S. Caribbean (U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) and FGBNMS. Surveys are concurrent with and along the same transect with Coral Demographic surveys (Appendix I; Refer to Coral Demographics Survey Protocol for the Atlantic Region: U.S. Caribbean, Florida and Gulf of Mexico: 2019