EPA / NOAA Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project 2002 Executive Summary , July 2003

In 1994, the Florida Keys Coral Reef Evaluation Monitoring Project (CREMP) was initiated to provide status and trends data needed to evaluate the success of future management actions in the Florida Keys. Forty sampling sites were selected within the FKNMS using a stratified random sampling procedure (USEPA E-map) and permanent station markers were installed. Annual sampling began in 1996 and continued through 2002. Three additional sites were installed in the Dry Tortugas in 1999 for annual sampling. Starting in 2002, additional sampling techniques were incorporated into the project including clionid sponge surveys of abundance and cover, a more definitive stony coral disease survey, and a stony coral recruitment survey. Results are reported for regions defined as Upper Keys (north Key Largo to Conch Reef), Middle Keys (Alligator Reef to Molasses Keys), Lower Keys (Looe Key to Smith Shoal), and Tortugas (Dry Tortugas to Tortugas Banks). Sanctuary-wide from 1996 to 2002, the number of stony coral species declined at 74 stations (70%), increased at 21 stations (20%), and remained unchanged at 10 stations (10%). A slight decline in the number of stony coral species was recorded in all habitat types. The offshore deep and patch reef stations had the greatest numbers of stony coral taxa with 18 and 16 species, respectively; the fewest number of stony coral species, an average of nine species per station occurred at the hardbottom stations. Between 1996 and 2002 the number of stony coral species decreased at 23 of 30 (77%) stations in the Upper Keys, increased at 2 stations, and remained unchanged at 5 stations. In the Middle Keys, the number of stony coral species decreased at 20 of 29 (69%) stations, increased at 7 stations, and remained unchanged at 2 stations. In the Lower Keys, the number of stony coral species decreased at 31 of 46 (67%) stations, increased at 12 stations, and remained unchanged at 3 stations. Overall, there were increases in the number of stations containing diseased stony corals, the number of stony coral species with disease, and the different types of diseases that were observed. The number of stations where white disease was found increased from five stations in 1996 to 90 stations in 2002. In 2002, the number of stations where “other disease” was recorded declined slightly from 95 in 2001 to 94 in 2002. Sanctuary-wide, a decline in stony coral cover has been observed since 1996. Between 1996 and 2002, a 38% decline in stony coral cover was observed sanctuary-wide. This trend was confirmed by nonparametric hypothesis testing at the sanctuary level. The decline in mean percent coral cover from 1997 to 1998 and from 1998 to 1999 was significant with a p-value of 0.03 or less for the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Between 1997 and 1998 coral cover declined from 11.4% to 9.6%. The downward trend continued between 1998 and 1999 when coral cover declined from 9.6% to 7.4%. The changes observed from 1996 to 1997, and 1999 to 2002 were determined to be statistically insignificant. Sanctuary-wide coral cover has not changed significantly since 1999. For the 103 stations with sufficient stony coral cover for analysis, 57 (55%) stations had a significant decrease in stony coral cover, 39 (38%) stations showed no significant change, and only seven (7%) stations had a significant increase. Percent cover data for functional groups were analyzed for the geographic regions from 1996 to 2002. Sanctuarywide, in 2002, the benthic community within CREMP sites was composed of 66.8% substrate, 11.0% octocoral, 9.3 % macroalgae, 7.5% stony coral, 2.5% sponge, 2.2% zooanthids, and 0.6% seagrass. From its inception in 1996, the CREMP has successfully documented long-term changes in the status and trends of coral reefs throughout the 2,800-square-nautical-mile FKNMS. The cessation of the rapid decline documented in the early stages of the project is encouraging. There is a general consensus that multiple stressors acting at local, regional, and global scales are continuing to have negative impacts on coral reefs in the Florida Keys and elsewhere. The Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project will continue to collect data relative to benthic habitat condition at the established 40 sites. A coral disease survey, stony coral abundance survey, measurements of temperature and rugosity, and sampling for human enterovirus will be conducted at nine of these sites. The CREMP will also mine such sources as remote sensing data and in-situ sensor data to define cause and affect relationships within the Florida Reef Tract.