Research and Monitoring

• Implementation of Sanctuary-wide status and trends monitoring projects for water quality (1995), coral reefs (1994), and seagrasses (1996) [this may be covered in Water Quality];
  • Documented steady increase in the concentration of total phosphorus from sources outside of the Sanctuary
  • Documented losses of live coral and coral species diversity since 1994
  • Documented stable distribution and abundance of dominant seagrass species, with the exception of burial or erosion after hurricanes
• Implementation of the Zone Monitoring Program in 1997 to examine effects of the fully protected zones on populations and communities;
  • Spiny lobster density and size are greater inside fully protected zones than outside of them
  • There is no consistent pattern of change among reef fish species inside and outside fully protected zones
  • A centralized database has been established for the projects in this program
• Establishement of a research permitting program to enable researchers, educators, and other to conduct prohibited activities if specific conditions are met;
• Formation of a Technical Advisory Committee to help coordinate and guide research and monitoring activities [this may be covered in Water Quality];
• Findings of the research and monitoring program are disseminated through periodic meetings, reports and scientific publications, and the FKNMS web site;
• Scientific information used as an important part of the Tortugas 2000 planning process.