CCMA: Biogeography: Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CRES)

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Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CRES) - US Caribbean Component

Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CRES) - US Caribbean Component

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NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program is funding a 5-year Coral Reef Ecosystem (CRES) proposal to better integrate science and management for the protection of US Caribbean coral reef ecosystems.

Project Summary

The integrity of coral reefs is threatened by numerous anthropogenic and natural stresses including sediments, nutrient enrichment, climate change (bleaching), over harvesting, and storms. For instance, coral diseases are emerging as a significant cause of reef degradation in the Caribbean. Compared to other marine ecosystems, coral reefs may be particularly vulnerable to watershed-based stresses related to coastal development because coral reefs are usually best developed "beyond the influence of continental sediments" and flourish as 'closed systems' based on the internal recycling of nutrients. Over harvesting may also be particularly deleterious because the high biodiversity of coral reefs may be highly dependent upon complex biological interactions involving predation, herbivory, and competition. Reefs can also be indirectly affected via stresses to their associated mangrove and seagrass communities because many keystone reef species use these adjacent habitats for recruitment and nursery areas. In addition to the separate effects of various stressors, synergistic interactions among stressors can further enhance adverse effects. For instance, the resiliency of some reefs to nutrient inputs may be compromised by over harvesting of the grazers that control frondose macroalgae that, in turn, can out-compete corals.

In response to the continued decline of coral reef ecosystem health, a 5-year research program funded through NOAA's Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR) has been developed to define and understand causes and effects of reef degradation, and provide managers information and tools to aid in reversing the degradation of US Caribbean reef ecosystems. This integrated multidisciplinary team, lead by scientists at the University of Puerto Rico, is based on existing collaborations (UPRM-UPRRP, UPRM-NOS-NMFS, USGS-NOS), and builds upon these and existing data extending over several decades and across the region. The overall strategic assessment will address the four major research focus areas defined in the Request for Proposals: 1) Relationships between watershed activities and coral reefs; 2) Causes of ecological stress; 3) Coral reef ecosystem integrity; and 4) Evaluation and linkages of marine protected areas. Our research counts on comparative studies among the sites (St. John, USVI; La Parguera and Culebra, Puerto Rico) to assess processes under different conditions and levels of stress, including multiple comparisons of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) with respect to biological and socio-economic processes. Items outlined in the statement of work describe NCCOS's proposed tasks in the overall CRES collaboration effort. Tasks fall under 4 major categories, including: 1) Coupling Species and Habitat; 2) Economic Coupling; 3) Coral disease; and 4) Database management.


Photo Credits: Biogeography Branch

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Reports and Publications

Christensen, J.D., C. Jeffrey, M.E. Monaco, C. Caldow, M.S. Kendall, and R.S. Appledoorn. 2003. Cross-shelf habitat utilization patterns of reef fishes in southwestern Puerto Rico. Gulf and Caribbean Research 14: 9-27.
Kendall, M.S., J.D. Christensen, C. Caldow, M. Coyne, C. Jeffrey, M. Monaco, W. Morrison, and Z. Hillis-Starr. 2004. The influence of bottom type and shelf position on biodiversity of tropical fish inside a recently enlarged marine reserve. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 14: 113-132.
Kendall, M.S., J.D. Christensen, and Z. Hillis-Starr. 2003. Multi-scale data used to analyze the spatial distribution of French grunts, Haemulon flavolineatum, relative to hard and soft bottom in a benthic landscape. Environmental Biology of Fishes 66: 19-26.
Monaco, M.E., J.D. Christensen, A.M. Friedlander, M.S. Kendall, and C. Caldow. 2003. Quantifying habitat utilization patterns of U.S. Caribbean and Hawaii reef fish to define marine protected area boundaries: the coupling of GIS and ecology. In Proc. 13th Biennial Coastal Zone Conference, Baltimore, MD, July 13-17, 2003. NOAA/CSC/20322-CD. CD-ROM. Charleston, SC: NOAA Coastal Services Center. (Get the PDF)
Monaco, M.E., A.M. Friedlander, C. Caldow, J.D. Christensen, J. Beets, Jeffrey Miller, C. Rogers, and R. Boulon. (Accepted) Characterizing Reef Fish Populations and Habitats within and Outside the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument: A Lesson in MPA Design.
Pittman, S.J., J.D. Christensen, C. Caldow, C. Menza, and M.E. Monaco. (Submitted) Predictive mapping of fish species richness across shallow-water seascapes in the Caribbean.

Data

Coral Reef Ecosystem Assessment and Monitoring Database

Tools

Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)

Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies (CRES) - US Caribbean Component

Objectives

Project Summary

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