Florida Coral Disturbance Response Monitoring (DRM) Program 2020-2023

The Disturbance Response Monitoring (DRM) program was developed to annually assess coral condition during the months of peak thermal stress along Florida’s Coral Reef (FCR). The 2005 severe coral bleaching event in the Florida Keys prompted the establishment of the DRM program, which has continued to implement these surveys every year. The DRM program surveys coral populations using a probabilistic sampling design based on how corals are distributed spatially within and across different regions, sub-regions, and zones of FCR. The DRM program provides an annual demographic and condition assessment for all corals in <60ft, including all SCTLD susceptible coral species found in Florida.DRM is a collaborative effort among local, state, and federal environmental managers, scientists, conservation organizations, and coral restoration practitioners, all of whom are driven by a common goal of providing valuable and timely coral condition data to all reef stakeholders. The primary goal of the DRM program has always been to provide a condition report on the annual status of coral bleaching along the reef tract. This information is used to identify resilient areas of the reef, promote appropriate management or conservation strategies for reef areas based on resilience, and aid management in research and restoration decisions. Although historically focused on bleaching, the DRM program has been very responsive in adapting its experimental design to account for emerging stressors impacting the reef including disease.