Using Volunteers as a Tool

Experiences from REEF’s Fish Survey Project in the Pacific Northwest

Christy Pattengill-Semmens Reef Environmental Education Foundation

Volunteers as a Tool REEF’s Mission

The Premise: “To educate, enlist, and enable divers and non-divers alike to become active stewards in the conservation People are more willing to protect, enjoy, and contribute of coral reefs and other marine habitats.” time and money to what they know.

The “vast ocean wilderness” is difficult to get to, monitor, and protect by agencies with limited money and manpower.

Reef Environmental Education Foundation REEF Fish Survey Project

•REEF HQ in Key Largo with a Pacific office in Seattle

•Five full time staff

•Coordinate the Fish Survey Project

•Education/Outreach Programs As of June, 2002 A Diver conducting a REEF Fish Survey

1 Roving Diver Technique

• Free swimming range around dive site (within 100m) • Record all species positively identified • Estimate relative abundance for each species Single (S) -1 Few (F) - 2-10 Many (M) - 11-100

Schmitt, E. F. and Sullivan, K. M. 1996. Analysis of a Abundant (A) - >100 volunteer method for collecting fish presence and • Transfer data to REEF abundance data in the Keys. Bulletin of Marine survey sheet Science, 59(2), 404-416.

Data Flow

Scansheet Sent Manual Proofreading SQL Database to REEF HQ

Surveys Are Scanned Summary Reports on Website

• Geographic • Species Distribution QA/QC Programs • Member Lifelist

Custom Reports and Data Files Clean Data Uploaded upon request To Server

REEF’s Database 42,030 Surveys as of June 6, 2002

www.reef.org

2 Diversity of Applications and DISCOVERIES Benefits In 1994, REEF volunteers discovered the • Monitoring Programs presence of a unique color morph in the • Data Analysis smooth trunk fish at the Flower Garden Banks NMS.

• Conservation Contributions Exotic species in the Florida Keys Success of Partnerships!

Sighting Frequency

17.8% 5.7% 34.2% 62.5% Island Kelpfish

7.1% 47.1% 66.4% 74.4% Palm Beach County Opaleye

64.2% 41.4% 35.5% 11.8%

Blue Rockfish

Broward County 82.1% 70.0% 74.3% 63.8%

Painted Greenling

Dade County San Miguel Santa Rosa Santa Cruz Anacapa Semmens et al., 2002

Jewfish Population Status Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and National Marine Fisheries Service Assessment (AGRRA)

# # July 1999 # # # # # # ## # # # # # # #

1991 , 1992 & 1 993 JEWFI SH SIGHTINGS 1994 19 95 & 19 96 JEWFISH SIG HTING S # # • 17 sites on LC and 16 sites on GC # 5 .2 % # # # sightings pe r surveys 2 .9 % # # # # # # # sight in gs per sur veys # # # # #

# ## # • Belt Transects - 199 on LC and 142 on GC # # # # # # ## # # # # # # # # # # ## # # # # ## # # #

# 1997 199 8 & 199 9 # # JEWFISH SI GHTINGS # # • Roving Diver Surveys- 47 on LC and 32 # # # 10.6 % # # # # ## # # # # # # # sighting s per sur veys # # # # ## # # # # on GC

## # ## # # # # ## # # # # # ## #

3 Transect Results- Fishes Species Composition RDT Results- Fishes • According to roving diver data, average abundance of most 30 ) 2 species were higher on LC. 25 20 Of particular interest were the . LC 15 GC Sea Basses GC LC 10 Black bonaci 3% 7% 5 Nassau Grouper striatus 9% 69% Mean Density (#/100m 0 Red Hind Epinephelus guttatus 21% 44% Tiger Grouper Mycteroperca tigris 12% 50% Grunt Other Seabass Snapper Yellowfin Grouper Mycteroperca venenosa 0% 22% Angelfish Parrotfish Surgeonfish Butterflyfish Leatherjacket Yellowmouth Grouper Mycteroperca interstitialis 3% 6% Values are %SF.

REEF Survey Locations and Effort Benthic Habitats of the Florida Keys

Pie Chart Legend Benthic Habitat

Bare Substrate Bare substrate UK (%) Continuous Seagrass Continuous seagrass 8,326 REEF Surveys Hard bottom Patch Reefs Hard bottom 273 Sites Patchy Seagrass Patch reefs Platform Margin Reefs Patchy seagrass 401 Species Unknown Bottom Platform margin reefs Unknown bottom July 1993-October 2001

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# ## ## Upper Keys

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# #### # # # Middle Keys # # # ## #

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## # # # # ### # # ### # # # ## ### # ### # # # # # ##### ## # # # # 1 - 25 # # #

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# # # 26 - 75

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# ## # Lower Keys ## # ### ## # # # # # ## #

# ## # ## 76 - 150 Dry Tortugas # 151 - 275 # 276 - 584

Development of a Volunteer

Probability Estimates of Fish Distribution Among Program Benthic Habitats

Bluestriped grunt Benthic Habitat occurrence Bare substrate 5% Continuous seagrass 22% Hard bottom 12% Patch reefs 15% Patchy seagrass 36% Platform margin reefs 6% Unknown bottom 4%

Probability estimates for species occurrence of bluestriped grunt in different benthic habitats of the Florida Keys NMS. From Jeffrey, et al. 2001.

4 Steps Method • Method • Sell Job – Protocol • Data Management & Dissemination –What to monitor • Data Applications –How to monitor • Expansion –Field test – Materials – Training – Skill Level Evaluation

The Sell Job Data Management & Scientific/Management Communities Dissemination Emphasize value of education & stewardship Stress complementary nature of program (not intended as end all –Structure of database be all, rather a tool) think query types and expansion Form partnerships and coalitions Avoid turf battles

Volunteers Spread the word

REEF’s Geographic Zone Be Prepared For… Codes • Region (first digit) 12000 • Sub-Region (first two digits) • Zone (first four digits) 10000 • Site (all eight digits) 8000 6000 For example, the geographic code 42020315 4000 2000

identifies the following site: REEF Survey Effort 0 Region: 4 = California Sub-Region: 42 = Southern California 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Zone: 4202 = N. Channel Islands Year Sub-Zone: 420203 = Santa Cruz Island Site: 42020315 = Forney’s Cove

5 Data Management & Data Application Dissemination

–Structure of database •In-house think query types and expansion •Present at scientific symposia –Quick turnaround automate as much as possible •Develop partnerships with agencies –Quality Assurance / Quality Control –Access •Emphasize methods robust to data general public and science/management communities

REEF’s Pacific Northwest Expansion Expansion • Pilot Project in 1998 – Six groups, conducted training and monthly dives, follow •Proceed slowly, it’s not just a up and modification duplication of existing materials •Modifications – slates, revision of materials, •Develop local coalitions/partners development of Living REEF Project •Living REEF Project – a collaboration •Beware of turf battles •Develop an invertebrate monitoring program •Revise fish training curriculum •Help promote REEF monitoring in British Columbia

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