Oceanic SocietyBelize Field StationBlackbird Caye, Turneffe Atoll

, Katherine Cure M.S., . .P I

We encourage volunteers to review this material prior to arriving at the Field Station. It will aid in preparation for the monitoring event.

However, it is not a requirement of the program to review or study this material. Slides will be discussed in detail on site by the OS Researcher in charge.

Training will be offered on a daily basis at the Field Station and researcher will make sure you are up to speed with what is required of you as a volunteer

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact OS Researcher before arrival or during your stay at Blackbird CONTACT INFO: Katherine Cure, M.Sc. katherine.cure@gmail.com, bzoceanic@gmail.com

A long term endeavour to assess reef health and provide information to managers

Monitoring at Oceanic is modelled from programs that are being used in the wider Caribbean Region and in Belize (AGRRA, MBRS)

However, we focus on some indicators that give the most important information, in order to get data of the best possible quality, with the available resources

Long-term monitoring allows tracking of changes in community structure on the reef over time

Data can be collected over seasons and years to determine which changes are due to natural variability and which are the result of human pressure

Baseline ecological data on coral reef health is crucial to management planning

Fish Abundance:• Consists of an assessment of the number of individuals in one of

6 categories -- Recorded by Volunteers Abundance of long spiny sea urchins

• Recorded by Volunteers Coral Condition and Disease:

• Recorded by Researcher• Presence/absence of disease and bleaching• Condition of corals (i.e. live tissue, % mortality)

1) FISH ABUNDANCE• Six categories• Count number of individuals in each

2) SPINY SEA URCHIN ABUNDANCE• Diadema antillarum• Count number of individuals

3) ENVIRONMENTAL Variables

Reef fish abundance and diversity are excellent indicators of reef health, given the close relationship between fish and the habitat they live and depend on

It is important to monitor different trophic levels, in order to get an adequate representation of the fish community at all levels of the food chain

Fish abundance will be recorded for key families including herbivores, carnivores and omnivores

There are six categories of fish to count, but no worries! There is plenty of time to learn them all

Categories to count (5 families + 1 sp.): • Parrotfishes (Flia. Scaridae)

• Surgeonfishes (Flia. Acanthuridae)

• Butterflyfishes (Flia. Chaetodontidae)

• Snappers (Flia. Lutjanidae) • Groupers (Flia. Serranidae)

• Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus)

•CHARACTERISTICS:•Large scales•Beak-like mouths

•BEHAVIOUR:•Swim with pectoral fins•Constantly feeding

•IMPORTANCE: •Key herbivores

•YOU WILL RECORD AS: •Adults•Juveniles