Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project Dry Tortugas 2008

The purpose of the Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project (CREMP) is to monitor the status and trends of selected reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary(FKNMS). CREMP assessments have been conducted annually at fixed sites since 1996 and data collected provides information on the temporal changes in benthic cover and diversity of stony corals and associated marine flora and fauna. The core field methods continue to be underwater videography and timed coral species inventories. Findings presented in this report include data from 109 stations at 37 sites sampled from 1996 through 2008 in the Florida Keys and 1999 through 2008 in the Dry Tortugas. The report describes the annual differences (between 2007 and 2008) in the percent cover of major benthic taxa (stony corals, octocorals, sponges, and macroalgae), mean coral species richness and the incidence of stony coral conditions. Additionally, it examines the long-term trends of the major benthic taxa, five coral complex, Montastraea cavernosa, Colpophyllia natans, Siderastrea siderea, and Porites astreoides) and the clionaid sponge, Cliona delitrix. It is one of the longest running coral reef monitoring projects in south Florida and has been extremely important in documenting the temporal changes that have occurred in recent years.

珊瑚礁评估与监测项目（Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project, CREMP）的核心目标为监测佛罗里达群岛国家海洋保护区（Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, FKNMS）内选定珊瑚礁的现状与变化趋势。该项目自1996年起便在固定监测点开展年度评估，所采集的数据可反映石珊瑚及相关海洋动植物的底栖覆盖度与物种多样性随时间的变化情况。核心野外调查方法延续使用水下摄像法与定时珊瑚物种清点法。本报告呈现的调研数据涵盖1996至2008年佛罗里达群岛区域37个监测点的109个采样站位，以及1999至2008年德赖托图格斯群岛区域的相关采样数据。本报告详述了2007至2008年间主要底栖类群（石珊瑚、八放珊瑚、海绵与大型藻类）的覆盖百分比、珊瑚物种平均丰富度以及石珊瑚病害发生情况的年度差异。此外，报告还分析了主要底栖类群、五种珊瑚复合体（Montastraea cavernosa、Colpophyllia natans、Siderastrea siderea以及Porites astreoides）与侵蚀穿海绵（Cliona delitrix）的长期变化趋势。本项目是南佛罗里达州持续时间最长的珊瑚礁监测项目之一，在记录近年珊瑚礁生态系统的时间序列变化方面发挥了极为关键的作用。