Vital Sign Monitoring: Benthic Marine Community
at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park
Description & Rational
The benthic marine communities in the PACN parks are rich and diverse, including algae, corals, and other invertebrates. In most parks, coral reefs form the structural framework of an ecosystem that has been compared to tropical rainforests in terms of species diversity and the complexity of interactions. This monitoring protocol is closely linked with the marine fish monitoring protocol and is co-located to facilitate interpretation of status and trends in both Vital Signs. Corals serve as the primary architectural organism in nearshore marine ecosystems and are sensitive to environmental degradation. Therefore, they are a good indicator of overall health for tropical reef environments. Primary stressors to coral reefs include diseases, bleaching, sedimentation, eutrophication, alien species, fishing, storms, and global climate change. The United Nations Environment Programme has proposed coral reefs as a worldwide indicator ecosystem for global climate change.
Brief Monitoring Questions & Objectives
Question: What are the changes over time in the composition (e.g., species and/or assemblage) and physical structure (rugosity) of the coral reef benthos?
Objectives: Determine long-term trends in the abundance (density of individuals or percent cover) of sessile marine macroinvertebrate (e.g., corals, sponges) and macroalgal assemblages at randomly selected sites stratified by habitat or substrata between 10 and 20 meters depth. Determine trends in benthic small scale topography at randomly selected, fixed stations that have been stratified by habitat or reef zone.
Question: What are the changes over time in reproduction, recruitment, growth, survival and health of target coral assemblages, species, and/or individuals?
Objectives: Determine trends in recruitment rate of hard corals (as an assemblage) to uniform artificial surfaces at selected sites on the fore reef between 10 and 20 meters depth. Determine trends in rate of growth and survival of randomly selected coral colonies of a common, trans-Pacific species (e.g., Pocillopora damicornis, P. verrucosa, Porites lobata) growing at similar depth. Determine long-term trends in the incidence and severity of coral and algal disease and bleaching.
Vital Sign Monitoring Status & Trends
The Benthic Marine monitoring protocol is in development, has returned from peer review, and is being implemented.
with corals and the plants and animals which depend on them
Education and Outreach:
- Benthic Marine Resource Brief
- Benthic Marine Monitoring Movie – Coming Soon!
- Benthic Marine Monitoring Photo Gallery - Coming Soon
Contact Information
Project Manager
Larry Basch, Ph.D. Marine Ecologist
Pacific Island Network, I&M Program
National Park Service
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 6-226, Honolulu, HI 96850
Larry_Basch <at> nps.gov