In the northeast Caribbean, doldrum-like conditions combined with elevated water temperatures in the summer/fall 2005 created the most severe coral bleaching event ever documented within this region. Video monitoring of 100 randomly chosen, permanent transects at five study sites in the US Virgin Islands revealed over 90% of the scleractinian coral cover showed signs of thermal stress by paling or becoming completely white. Lower water temperatures in October allowed some re-coloring of corals; however, a subsequent unprecedented regional outbreak of coral disease affected all sites. Five known diseases or syndromes were recorded; however, most lesions showed signs similar to white plague. Nineteen scleractinian species were affected by disease, with [90% of the disease-induced lesions occurring on the genus Montastraea. The disease outbreak peaked several months after the onset of bleaching at all sites but did not occur at the same time. The mean number of disease-induced lesions increased 51-fold and the mean area of diseaseassociated mortality increased 13-fold when compared with pre-bleaching disease levels. In the 12 months following the onset of bleaching, coral cover declined at all sites (average loss: 51.5%, range: 42.4-61.8%) reducing the five-site average from 21.4% before bleaching to 10.3% with most mortality caused by white plague disease, not bleaching. Continued losses through October 2007 reduced the average coral cover of the five sites to 8.3% (average 2-year loss: 61.1%, range: 53.0-79.3%). Mean cover by M. annularis (complex) decreased 51%, Colpophyllia natans 78% and Agaricia agaricites 87%. Isolated disease outbreaks have been documented before in the Virgin Islands, but never as widespread or devastating as the one that occurred after the 2005 Caribbean coral-bleaching event. This study provides insight into the effects of continued seawater warming and subsequent coral bleaching events in the Caribbean and highlights the need to understand links between coral bleaching and disease.
TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY ………………………………………………………………………………… 1.0 INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………… 2.0 MONITORING IN AN ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT CONTEXT………………… 3.0 CHALLENGES IN CREATING REGIONAL CONSERVATION PLAN MONITORING PROGRAMS ………………………………………………………… 7 3.1 Addressing both covered species and ecosystem integrity …………………. 3.2 Coordinating and integrating monitoring from local to ecoregional scales … 7 3.3 Acknowledging a high degree of uncertainty …………………………………. 3.4 Phasing-in monitoring program development ……………………………..… 3.5 Accommodating staged development of a reserve system network …………. 9 4.0 STEPWISE APPROACH TO CREATING A MONITORING PROGRAM …….. 10 4.1 Step 1. Identify the goals and objectives of the regional conservation plan … 4.2 Step 2. Identify the scope of monitoring program …………………………… 4.3 Step 3. Compile information relevant to monitoring program design ………. 4.4 Step 4. Strategically divide the system and set priorities …………………….. 4.5 Step 5. Develop simple management-oriented conceptual models …………… 4.6 Step 6. Determine what to monitor and identify critical uncertainties ……. 4.7 Step 7. Determine strategy for implementing monitoring ……………………. 4.8 Step 8. Develop data quality assurance, data management, analysis, and reporting strategies ……………………………………………………………… 4.9 Step 9. Complete the adaptive management loop by ensuring effective feedback to decision-making …………………………………………………… 5.0 ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR DESIGNING THE MONITORING PROGRAM ………………………………………………………………………………..41 6.0 CONCLUSIONS ………………………………………………………………………… 42 7.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………………… 42 8.0 ACRONYMS …………………………………………………………………………. 9.0 GLOSSARY …………………………………………………………………………….. 44 APPENDIX A. Suggested components of natural community assemblage conceptual models ……………………………………………………………………………….. 49 APPENDIX B. Suggested components of landscape-level conceptual models ……….…. 50 APPENDIX C. A strategy for linking monitoring of NCCP/HCP covered species with ecosystem monitoring ………………………………………………………………… APPENDIX D. Habitat monitoring as a surrogate for species monitoring …………….. v APPENDIX E. Characteristics of good monitoring variables …………………………… 54 APPENDIX F. Species-level monitoring variables ……………………………………….. 55 APPENDIX G. Natural community assemblage monitoring variables ………………… 56 APPENDIX H. Landscape-level monitoring variables ……………………………..…… APPENDIX I. Sampling design approaches that are receiving increased attention …….. APPENDIX J. Quality assurance plan ……………………………………………………. 60 REFERENCES ……………………………………………..………………………………. 61 LIST OF BOXES Box 1. Comparison of two covered species requiring different levels of initial focus in an NCCP/HCP monitoring program …………………………………………………. Box 2. Dividing system into natural community assemblages …………………………. Box 3. Typical landscape-level issues that involve multiple natural community assemblages or otherwise require special attention ………………………………. Box 4. Suggested components of covered species conceptual models …………………… Box 5. Conservation strategy and management...
Breeding colonies of wading birds (orders Ciconiiformes, Pelecaniformes) and seabirds (orders Suliformes, Pelecaniformes) serve as important indicators of aquatic ecosystem health, as they respond to changes in food abundance and quality, contaminants, invasive species, and disturbance. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Restoration Coordination & Verification program (CERP-RECOVER) has identified wading-bird colonies as an important ecosystem restoration indicator. The National Park Service South Florida/Caribbean Inventory & Monitoring Network (SFCN) ranked colonial nesting birds eighth out of 44 vital signs of park natural resource conditions for ecological significance and feasibility. However, while large-scale monitoring efforts are occurring in the rest of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, only minimal historic data collection and no extensive ongoing monitoring of wading bird and seabird nesting have occurred in Biscayne National Park. Consequently, due to their high importance as biological indicators and because they are a gap occurring in regional monitoring efforts, the network has initiated a monitoring program of colonial nesting birds in Biscayne National Park. This protocol provides the rationale, approach, and detailed Standard Operating Procedures for annual colonial bird monitoring within and close to Biscayne National Park and conforms to the Oakley et al. (2003) guidelines for National Park Service long-term monitoring protocols. The specific objectives of this monitoring program are to determine status and long-term trends in: Numbers and locations of active colonies of colonial nesting birds with a special focus on Double-crested Cormorants, Great Egrets, Great White Herons, Great Blue Herons, White Ibises, and Roseate Spoonbills. Annual peak active nest counts of colonial nesting birds in Biscayne National Park with a special focus on the species mentioned above. An annual nesting index (i.e., sum of monthly nest counts) with a special focus on the species mentioned above. Timing of peak nest counts for the focal species.
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