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CORAL REEF BIOCRITERIA
Citation:
FISHER, W. S. CORAL REEF BIOCRITERIA. Presented at OW/ORD Seminar Series, Washington, DC, October 11, 2006.
Description:
Coral reefs worldwide are experiencing the greatest decline of their known existence and few tools are available to offset the growing impacts of human coastal and watershed activities. Biocriteria are a potentially effective means to evaluate and restore impaired waters, but are not currently used by any U.S. jurisdiction. A collaborative EPA effort is underway to assist in development and implementation of protective biocriteria for coral reefs. Success will require robust assessment procedures and scientifically-defensible monitoring strategies. A rapid bioassessment protocol was introduced and validated in the Florida Keys and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Its focus is on reef-building `stony¿ corals that construct the skeletal framework valued for community habitat and shoreline protection. The protocol improves existing methods by including both colony and surface area characteristics, and it employs three-dimensional measurements to document physical complexity and live tissue (biomass). The protocol requires only three underwater observations, but provides functional information on coral condition beyond that of previous methods. Moreover, several indicators were found responsive to human disturbance gradients, a requirement for implementation in a biocriteria program. Enforceable biocriteria require a scientifically sound monitoring program able to statistically distinguish impaired conditions. Development of an effective monitoring design requires iterative examination of metric variability, reef classifications, sampling strategies, designated uses and capacities of the resource agency. Reef surveys performed in U.S. Virgin Islands are providing the requisite information to generate an efficient and flexible monitoring program that will provide valuable, long-term records of coral condition and regulatory compliance.