A total of 362 species have been reported from 77 sites around Bonaire and the neighboring Klein Bonaire. This makes the Bonaire Marine Park one of the most species rich areas in REEF's database. The paper also showed that the composition of species (presence and abundance) on Klein Bonaire and Bonaire are distinct. In addition to providing data for site characterization, the thousands of surveys in REEF's database will provide a baseline against which future change can be assessed. This paper provides the most comprehensive species list published to date for the Park.
Chapters 2, 4, and 5 of this dissertation present data collected using the RDT. Chapter 2 presents the complete fish assemblage reported by RDT and Stationary Diver Technique (SDT; referred to in Bohnsack, 1996, as the SST) surveys over three years of semi-annual surveys of the Flower Gardens and Stetson Bank, in the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Chapter 4 examines the quality of fish census data generated by REEF nonexperts, and was published in the Journal of Gulf of Mexico Science (Pattengill-Semmens and Semmens, 1998).
Data collected by expert observers were used to evaluate the effect of Sanctuary Preservation Areas in the Florida Keys NMS on fishery-targeted species. Frequency of occurrence of species such as snappers, groupers, and hogfish were greater in sites that had protection from harvesting.
A poster presentation on the REEF/TNC Fish Survey Project with examples of three applications of data generated by the Project. These include evaluating the effect of marine protected areas, mapping species distribution, and applications in general assessment.
As a result of REEF surveyors visiting the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a new color phase of the smooth trunkfish was documented at the Flower Garden Banks. The occurrence of this golden morph is reported in this paper.
The results of an AGRRA expedition to the Flower Garden Banks are summarized in this technical report. A total of 117 fish species were recorded during the expedition, and REEF surveys documented a new record for the banks, a sharptail eel.
This study analyzed spatial trends and correlations between habitat diversity and fish community, using REEF data from the Florida Keys that were overlaid onto benthic habitat maps using GIS. Click here to read the abstract. (FIXME)
This is the first large scale trend analysis done using REEF data. The paper looked at 21 sites throughout the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Analysis methods were modified from those applied to the Breeding Bird Survey in order to detect sites with multi-species declines. A sub-set of sites were identified and potential management options were discussed. Click here to read the abstract.
This study analyzed species richness, distribution, and sighting frequency of selected reef fishes to describe species assemblage composition, abundance, and spatial distribution patterns within and among regions in the Florida Keys NMS. This report is the result of work being done on the biogeography of reef fishes by NOAA's Biogeography Office.
This paper describes the Fish Survey Project, and provides an overview of its applications in science and management and its value in enhancing the experience of divers and snorkelers.