PACN Monitoring Benthic Marine Community

McKenna S . PACN Monitoring Benthic Marine Community. 2006. National Park Service

The benthic marine community in the Pacific Island Network (PACN) is a complex ecologic system and a diverse taxonomic environment, including algae and corals and other invertebrates. Reef-building corals are the primary architectural organism and are sensitive to environmental degradation; therefore, they are a good indicator of overall health for nearshore park’s marine ecosystems. Primary stressors to coral reefs include disease, bleaching, sedimentation, eutrophication, storms, and global climate change. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has proposed using coral reefs as a worldwide indicator ecosystem for global climate change (Spalding et al. 2004). For these reasons, the PACN has chosen to implement long term monitoring of benthic marine communities. Benthic marine communities is most closely linked with marine fish, and monitoring efforts will be conducted at the same time and location to maximize data value.

Type
Project
Authors
McKenna, Sheila
Publisher
National Park Service
Units
KAHO , KALA , NPSA , PACN , WAPA
Keywords
algae, American Samoa, benthic, biology, biota, corals, Guam, hardbottom, Hawaii, invertebrates, KAHO, KALA, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Molokai, monitoring, National Park of American Samoa National Park, NPSA, oceans, Ofu, substrate, Tutuila, WAPA, War In The Pacific National Historical Park
Subjects
Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Communities

Program

Products

Collections

Browse the catalog