Surveys of benthic cover on Caribbean coral reefs in 1986

The Line Intercept Transect method (LIT) was used to survey benthic cover on Caribbean and western Atlantic reefs in 7 countries. Surveys were carried out in Belize (Carrie Bow Cay), Jamaica (Discovery Bay), USA (Key Largo - French Reef), Bahamas (Exuma Cays - Lee Stocking Island), Puerto Rico (Cayo Enrique, Media Luna), US Virgin Islands (Saint Croix - Buck Island, Tague Bay, Salt River Canyon) and Barbados (West). Data were generally collected along 20 m long transects, though some transects were extended to 30 m and others truncated due to time constraints or local conditions. At Carrie Bow Cay, surveys were carried out at depths of 10, 15 and 20 m. At all other locations depths of 10 and 20 m were surveyed, where possible. Duplicate or triplicate transects were laid out along the depth profile at each depth surveyed. Line intercept data were recorded using 'lifeform' categories that were developed during the ASEAN-Australia Living Coastal Resources programme from the mid-1980s. Categories allocated to benthos included: ACB - branching Acropora; CB - branching non-Acropora (which included Millepora spp.); CM - coral massive; CE - coral encrusting; CS - coral submassive; CF - coral foliose; SPM - sponge massive; SPC - sponge columnar; SPF - sponge foliose; and SPE - sponge encrusting. This research was undertaken to describe benthic cover on Caribbean Reefs. In most cases data were collected in the vicinity of transects used for sponge species distribution and biomass surveys carried out by Dr Wilkinson at the same time.

本研究采用线截距样带法（Line Intercept Transect, LIT），对7个国家的加勒比海及西大西洋海域珊瑚礁开展底栖生物覆盖度调查。调查覆盖点位包括：伯利兹（卡丽鲍礁）、牙买加（发现湾）、美国（基拉戈——法国礁）、巴哈马（埃克苏马群岛——李斯托金岛）、波多黎各（卡约恩里克、梅迪亚卢纳）、美属维尔京群岛（圣克罗伊岛——巴克岛、塔格湾、盐河峡谷）以及巴巴多斯（西部海域）。
数据采集通常沿20米长的样带开展，但受时间限制或当地条件影响，部分样带延长至30米，部分则因实际情况被缩短。在卡丽鲍礁，调查设置了10米、15米及20米三个水深梯度；其余所有调查点位均在可行范围内布设10米与20米两个水深梯度。在每个调查水深的垂直剖面上，均布设2次或3次重复样带。
线截距法采集的数据采用「生活型分类体系」进行记录，该体系于20世纪80年代中期由东盟-澳大利亚沿海生物资源存续计划制定。底栖生物分类体系包含以下类别：ACB——分枝状鹿角珊瑚（branching Acropora）；CB——非鹿角珊瑚分枝类群（包含千孔珊瑚属Millepora spp.物种）；CM——块状珊瑚；CE——附生珊瑚；CS——亚块状珊瑚；CF——叶状珊瑚；SPM——块状海绵；SPC——柱状海绵；SPF——叶状海绵；SPE——附生海绵。
本研究旨在描述加勒比海珊瑚礁的底栖生物覆盖状况。多数情况下，本次数据采集点位紧邻威尔金森博士同期开展海绵物种分布与生物量调查所使用的样带区域。