Overview
The Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project (CREMP) tracks the status and trends of selected locations along Florida’s Coral Reef from Martin County to the Dry Tortugas, excluding Biscayne National Park and the Marquesas. CREMP’s monitoring protocols are designed to identify processes that may lead to changes in coral populations. The surveys allow CREMP to test hypotheses about how Florida’s coral reef communities are changing over time in response to periodic disturbances and/or chronic stressors. There are two components: a camera survey, which collects percent cover information, and demographic surveys that collect data on stony coral and octocoral population abundance and condition.
Coral reefs found within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) are encompassed within the Florida Keys CREMP region. CREMP was designed in 1996 to document the status of reefs located within five of the nine EPA Water Quality Segments in the sanctuary. Approximately 120 miles of Florida’s nearly 360-mile-long coral reef is included in the Florida Keys CREMP region, from the southern boundary of Biscayne National Park to the waters off Key West. Sampling sites were selected using a stratified random sampling procedure based on the EPA Environmental Mapping and Assessment Program (EMAP). The EPA, FKNMS, and Continental Shelf Associates worked with FWC to develop monitoring protocols and site selection methods.
Stratification was based on habitat type and the Keys region. Four main habitat types were defined as:
- Nearshore hardbottom defined as areas of shallow (<15') low-relief nearshore limestone habitat, generally dominated by octocorals, sponges, and/or algae with limited coral cover. This is the most abundant hardbottom habitat in the Florida Keys.
- Patch reefs defined as hardbottom areas with higher relief, are generally found 2-4mi offshore between Hawks Channel and the forereef. Patch reefs vary in their dominant taxa but have a mixture of stony corals, octocorals, sponges, and algae. This is the second most abundant hardbottom habitat in the Keys.
- Shallow forereefs defined as reefs near the reef crest in water approximately 10-20' deep.
- Deep forereefs defined as reefs on the reef slope in water 30-60' deep.
The three regions of the Keys – Upper, Middle, and Lower - are defined by their underlying geology and hydrology:
- The Upper Keys refers to the area south of Biscayne National Park to Upper Matecumbe Key.
- The Middle Keys are defined as the area from Lower Matecumbe Key to Bahia Honda Key.
- The Lower Keys are defined as the area from Big Pine Key to Key West.
Currently, 40 sites are surveyed annually in the Florida Keys. Thirty-four of these sites have been continuously sampled since 1996: 17 patch reefs (two in the “backcountry” of the Gulf of America and 15 oceanside), 12 shallow forereef, and 11 deep forereef sites. While sites were chosen randomly, permanent monitoring stations were installed with the intention of being representative of their selected habitats. In some cases, stations were established to monitor specific stands of corals within that habitat. Station placement ensured adequate coverage over the reef area, and generally spanned from the reef edge to the reef interior. All CREMP in the Florida Keys sites have four stations per site.
For more information on CREMP, including the latest reports and data, please visit the FWC CREMP website a https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/coral/cremp/.