Coral colony monitoring Buck Island Reef National Monument, USVI

Phillips, Brendalee

This report highlights the scientific study/monitoring program of the disappearing reef at Buck Island Reef National Monument. According to one estimate 22% of the reefs in the Caribbean Atlantic had been destroyed beyond recognition prior to 1999, 11% are in a critical state and may be lost within the next 2 10 years, and an additional 22% may be lost within the next 10-30 years (Wilkinson 2000). Under the auspices of the National Park Service/US Geological Survey (NPS/USGS) Inventory and Monitoring Program, Biological Resources Division scientists have developed protocols to continue a long-term coral monitoring program for Buck Island Reef National Monument (BUIS), St. Croix. This study will provide information on individual colony responses among different habitats and within specific sites at BUIS. Although percent coral cover gives a quantitative result for the overall condition of the reef, monitoring of individual coral colonies can show growth rates, longevity, survivorship, and species-specific responses to stresses such as storms, diseases, fish grazing, and human impacts. This protocol identifies methods used to monitor the dynamics of individual coral colonies. The specific objective is to test the following null hypothesis: Ho= There is no change over time in the condition of representative individual coral colonies.