NCRMP_SampleFrame_Protocols_2013-2015.pdf

This outlines the protocols developed from 2013-2015 to design and generate a gridded, stratified sample frame for particular study regions monitored by NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/Biogeography Branch and its partners as part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) directed by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). A stratified random sample selection (using weighted strata allocations) is applied to a region's sample frame to select sites for each survey mission. These regions are surveyed biennially, and each sample frame is updated or re-created prior to each survey mission to incorporate new strata data or reflect protocol changes as they have evolved and improved over the years. The following workflow is for 2013-2015 years and specifically addresses the methodology of sample frame generation. Broader protocols for sample design and allocation can be found in a separate document.