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2009 CREMP Final Report 2 F2345-02-10-F & F2635-06-09-F

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2009 CREMP Final Report 2 F2345-02-10-F & F2635-06-09-F 2009 Annual Report Rob Ruzicka, Kate Semon, Michael Colella, Vanessa Brinkhuis, Jim Kidney, Jennifer Morrison, Kevin Macaulay, James W. Porter, Meredith Meyers, Mary Christman, and James Colee Funded by The United States Environmental Protection Agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Ocean Service USEPA grant award X7-97468002-8 NOAA/NOS MOA-2001-683 (Amendment No. 004)/7477 2009 CREMP Annual Report Principal Investigators Rob Ruzicka, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue S.E., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701 Telephone: 727-896-8626; Email: [email protected] Dr. Kathleen Semon, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue S.E., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, Telephone: 727-896-8626; Email: Kathleen.Semon@ MyFWC.com CREMP Team and Collaborators Michael Colella, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue S.E., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, Telephone: 727-896-8626; Email: Mike.Colella@ MyFWC.com Vanessa Brinkhuis, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue S.E., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, Telephone: 727-896-8626; Email: Vanessa.Brinkhuis@ MyFWC.com Jennifer Morrison, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue S.E., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, Telephone: 727-896-8626; Email: [email protected] Kevin Macaulay, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue S.E., St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, Telephone: 727-896-8626; Email: [email protected] Jim Kidney, South Florida Regional Laboratory, 58117 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050, Telephone: 305-289-2332; Email: Jim.Kidney@ MyFWC.com Dr. Jim Porter, University of Georgia, 104 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, Telephone: 706-542-3410; Email: [email protected] Meredith Meyers, University of Georgia, 104 East Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, Telephone: 706-542-3410; Email: [email protected] Dr. Mary Christman, University of Florida, 406 McCarty Hall C, P.O. Box 110339, Gainesville, FL 32611, Telephone: 352-392-3724; Email: [email protected] James Colee, University of Florida, 406 McCarty Hall C, P.O. Box 110339, Gainesville, FL 32611, Telephone: 352-392-3724; Email: [email protected] Suggested Citation Ruzicka R, Colella M, Semon K, Brinkhuis V, Morrison J, Kidney J, Porter J, Meyers M, Christman M, and Colee J. 2010. CREMP 2009 Final Report. Fish & Wildlife Research Institute/Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Saint Petersburg, FL. 110 pp Acknowledgements CREMP monitoring is conducted under the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Permit FKNMS-2007-121-A1. 2009 CREMP Final Report 2 F2345-02-10-F & F2635-06-09-F TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 5 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 7 METHODS .......................................................................................................................................... 10 SITE SELECTION AND STATION SETUP ................................................................................................ 10 STATION SPECIES INVENTORY (SSI)................................................................................................... 13 VIDEO TRANSECTS ............................................................................................................................ 13 BIOERODING (C LIONAID ) SPONGE SURVEY ........................................................................................ 14 STATISTICAL & DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSES ........................................................................................... 14 RESULTS & DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................ 16 2007 VS . 2008 .................................................................................................................................... 16 All Benthic Cover Variables ........................................................................................................... 16 Macroalgal cover .......................................................................................................................... 17 Octocoral Cover ............................................................................................................................ 18 Sponge Cover ................................................................................................................................ 18 Stony Coral Cover ......................................................................................................................... 18 STONY CORAL SPECIES RICHNESS ..................................................................................................... 19 STONY CORAL CONDITION ................................................................................................................ 23 LONG -TERM TRENDS ......................................................................................................................... 25 All Benthic Cover Variables ........................................................................................................... 25 Stony Coral Cover ......................................................................................................................... 28 Macroalgal cover .......................................................................................................................... 32 Octocoral Cover ............................................................................................................................ 34 Sponge Cover ................................................................................................................................ 36 Sentinel Stony Coral Species .......................................................................................................... 38 Montastraea annularis complex ..................................................................................................... 40 Montastraea cavernosa .................................................................................................................. 42 Colpophyllia natans ....................................................................................................................... 43 Porites astreoides .......................................................................................................................... 44 Clionaid Cover .............................................................................................................................. 47 CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................................................................. 51 LITERATURE CITED ....................................................................................................................... 53 APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................................... 63 APPENDIX 1. PERCENT COVER VALUES FOR MAJOR BENTHIC TAXA CATEGORIES FOR ALL YEARS AT ALL REGION *HABITAT GROUPINGS . ........................................................................................................... 63 APPENDIX 2. PERCENT COVER VALUES FOR MAJOR BENTHIC TAXA CATEGORIES FOR ALL YEARS AT ALL CREMP SITES . ................................................................................................................................... 67 APPENDIX 3. PERCENT COVER VALUES FOR FIVE SENTINEL CORAL SPECIES FOR ALL YEARS AT ALL REGION *HABITAT GROUPINGS . ........................................................................................................... 78 2009 CREMP Final Report 3 F2345-02-10-F & F2635-06-09-F APPENDIX 4. PERCENT COVER VALUES FOR FIVE SENTINEL CORAL SPECIES FOR ALL YEARS AT ALL CREMP SITES . ................................................................................................................................... 82 APPENDIX 5. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN STONY CORAL COVER 1996 TO 2008. ......................................... 92 APPENDIX 6. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN STONY CORAL COVER FROM 1999 TO 2008. ............................... 93 APPENDIX 7. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN MACROALGAL COVER FROM 1996 TO 2008. ............................... 94 APPENDIX 8. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN MACROALGAL COVER FROM 1999 TO 2008. ............................... 95 APPENDIX 9. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN OCTOCORAL COVER FROM 1996 TO 2008. .................................. 96 APPENDIX 10. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN OCTOCORAL COVER FROM 1999 TO 2008. ................................ 97 APPENDIX 11. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN SPONGE COVER FROM 1996 TO 2008. ....................................... 98 APPENDIX 12. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN SPONGE COVER FROM 1999 TO 2008. ....................................... 99 APPENDIX 13. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN MONTASTRAEA ANNULARIS COMPLEX COVER FROM 1996 TO 2008. ........................................................................................................................................................ 100 APPENDIX 14. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN MONTASTRAEA ANNULARIS COMPLEX COVER FROM 1999 TO 2008. ........................................................................................................................................................ 101 APPENDIX 15. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN MONTASTRAEA CAVERNOSA COVER FROM 1996 TO 2008. ........ 102 APPENDIX 16. LONG -TERM TRENDS IN MONTASTRAEA CAVERNOSA COVER
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