NOAA project: Benthic habitat mapping & assoc. reef fish utilization
Gill_Tracy
tracy.gill at noaa.gov
Wed Jun 14 07:51:50 EDT 2000
NOAA Coral Reef Initiative: Mapping Reef Fish Utilization of Benthic
Habitats off
Southwest Puerto Rico and St John, USVI
Mark Monaco, Matt Kendall and John Christensen of the NOAA/CCMA
Biogeography Team and John
Burke, Craig Bonn and Mark Fonseca of NOAA/CMER just completed a
two-week survey of fish habitat
utilization off southwest Puerto Rico. Visual census counts by divers
and netting were used to
define patterns in fish habitat utilization, and underwater video and
GPS were used to document
areas of habitat. The survey work complements the development of
CCMA's benthic habitat maps
via expert interpretation of aerial photographs. This work is part
of a larger study that began in
1999 and includes developing regional benthic habitat classification
guides, maps of benthic habitat
and species distributions, and determining the strength of spatial
correlation between species and
habitat types. This work will be used to determine if there is
significant essential fish habitat (EFH)
as defined by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council to consider
these areas for designation as
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Similar work will be conducted by
Biogeography Program staff
off St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands during the June 17-July 1 time
period. For more information
contact Dr. Mark Monaco (301-713-3028, ext. 160 or
Mark.Monaco at noaa.gov).
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