SFCN Spiny Lobster Monitoring (2019 - Ongoing)

Feeley M and Richter L . SFCN Spiny Lobster Monitoring (2019 - Ongoing). 2019. National Park Service

The South Florida/Caribbean Network (SFCN) conducts long-term monitoring of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) as part of the nationwide Inventory and Monitoring Division of the National Park Service. The Caribbean spiny lobster is one of the most economically important fisheries in both Florida and the USVI. The crustacean is under substantial recreational and commercial fishing pressure in the regions and in some cases within park boundaries. The goal of this monitoring project is to inform park managers of the status of spiny lobster populations within their park boundaries and evaluate any potential management actions. The monitoring program objectives focus on estimating a population level relative density index, frequency of occurrence index, and average size of spiny lobster and using these metrics to assess changes through time. Changes in these metrics can be evaluated after each survey season and with respect to habitat features, physical environment, and management actions. Survey sites are selected from a gridded sample frame using a stratified random sample design with an even sample allocation across strata initially. Each of the parks in Florida and the USVI use a 50 × 50-meter (164 × 164 ft) sample grid. In 2021, the sample frame was revised from a 100 × 100-meter (328 × 328 feet [ft]) to the current 50 × 50-meter (164 × 164 ft) sample grid based on updated high resolution mapping products. This project is a repository for all datasets, protocols, reports, and other types of publications pertaining to Lobster monitoring at Biscayne National Park, Buck Island Reef National Monument, Dry Tortugas National Park, Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, and Virgin Islands National Park.

Type
Project
Authors
Feeley, Mike; Richter, Lee
Publisher
National Park Service
Units
BISC , BUIS , DRTO , SARI , VIIS
Keywords
Biscayne National Park, Buck Island Reef National Monument, Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Dry Tortugas National Park, Fishery, Lobster, Marine Invertebrate, National Park Service, Panulirus argus, Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, South Florida, South Florida/Caribbean Monitoring Network, Spiny Lobster, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands National Park

Program

Products

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