Monitoring Protocol

Purpose: to accurately and efficiently monitor spatial and temporal variation in fish abundance. The sampling design is focused primarily on detecting change in abundant to moderately abundant reef fish across all 24 study sites sampled on a bimonthly basis. The simple, low-replicate design minimizes site survey time while maximizing repeated surveying of sites to obtain estimates of temporal variation in adult and juvenile abundance.

A. Sampling Design

Design of transect layout used at permanent transects. Two 60 m neutral gray transect lines are positioned along six permanent stainless-steel eyebolts. Divers survey four 25 m transects separated by 10 m buffer areas between replicates.

B. Survey Protocol

Transects are located by differential GPS. Fish densities of all observed species are estimated by visual strip transect search along each permanent transect line. Two pairs of divers survey the lines, each pair searching two of the 25 m lines. The search of each line consists of two divers, swimming side-by-side on each side of the line, surveying a column 2 m wide. On the outward-bound leg, larger planktivores and wide-ranging fishes within 4 m of the bottom are recorded. On the return leg, fishes closely associated with the bottom, juveniles, and fishes hiding in cracks and crevices are recorded. Each site is scheduled to be surveyed bi-monthly, weather permitting, for a total of six surveys per year.

C. Power Analysis (based on first survey)

Mean Density = per 100m2
MDD = 

Minimum Detectable Difference of design (in fish per 100m2) with a=0.05 b=0.10.

% Change = detectable percent change in abundance. Change greater than this between surveys would result in a statistically significant difference.

     

Species Mean 
Density		 Standard
Deviation		 MDD % Change
Aquarium Species

Acanthurus achilles

0.86

1.03

0.41

47

Acanthurus olivaceus

0.85

1.81

0.72

85

Centropyge potteri

2.09

1.30

0.52

25

Chaetodon auriga

0.09

0.29

0.11

132

Chaetodon fremblii

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Chaetodon lunula

0.33

0.58

0.23

70

Chaetodon multicinctus

5.78

1.67

0.66

11

Chaetodon ornatissimus

1.66

1.24

0.49

30

Chaetodon quadrimaculatus

0.80

1.02

0.41

51

Chaetodon unimaculatus

0.09

0.29

0.11

132

Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis

0.65

0.97

0.39

59

Ctenochaetus strigosus

21.67

9.03

3.60

17

Zebrasoma flavescens

14.46

9.66

3.85

27
Non-Aquarium Species

Abudefduf abdominalis

1.00

2.10

0.84

84

Acanthurus blochii

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Acanthurus leucopareius

0.17

0.65

0.26

149

Acanthurus nigricans

0.30

0.63

0.25

83

Acanthurus nigrofuscus

9.03

4.74

1.89

21

Acanthurus nigroris

1.27

1.35

0.54

42

Acanthurus thompsoni

2.08

3.40

1.35

65

Acanthurus triostegus

0.61

1.77

0.71

116

Aluterus scriptus

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Anampses cuvier

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Aphareus furca

0.09

0.29

0.11

132

Apogon kallopterus

0.13

0.63

0.25

191

Apogon menesemus

0.13

0.46

0.18

140

Apogon spp.

0.22

0.60

0.24

110

Arothron meleagris

0.13

0.34

0.14

105

Aulostomus chinensis

0.40

0.60

0.24

59

Balistes polylepis

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Bodianus bilunulatus

0.13

0.34

0.14

105

Calotomus carolinus

0.09

0.29

0.11

132

Cantherhines dumerilii

0.35

0.71

0.28

82

Canthigaster amboinensis

0.13

0.46

0.18

140

Canthigaster jactator

2.51

2.87

1.14

46

Caracanthus typicus

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Cephalopholis argus

0.93

0.65

0.26

28

Chaetodon lineolatus

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Chaetodon miliaris

0.32

1.17

0.47

146

Chromis agilis

20.50

16.54

6.59

32

Chromis hanui

3.36

2.30

0.92

27

Chromis ovalis

10.46

36.16

14.40

138

Chromis vanderbilti

20.06

31.66

12.61

63

Chromis verater

1.01

2.34

0.93

92

Cirrhitops fasciatus

0.20

0.54

0.21

110

Cirrhitus pinnulatus

0.17

0.49

0.20

112

Cirripectes vanderbilti

0.17

0.39

0.15

89

Coris flavovittata

0.17

0.39

0.15

89

Coris gaimard

0.87

0.77

0.31

35

Coris venusta

0.13

0.34

0.14

105

Dascyllus albisella

0.91

1.62

0.65

71

Exallias brevis

0.37

0.61

0.24

65

Fistularia commersonii

0.17

0.49

0.20

112

Forcipiger flavissimus

0.92

1.07

0.42

46

Forcipiger longirostris

0.96

1.12

0.44

47

Gomphosus varius

1.80

1.41

0.56

31

Gymnothorax flavimarginatus

0.17

0.39

0.15

89

Gymnothorax meleagris

0.30

0.56

0.22

73

Gymnothorax spp.

0.09

0.42

0.17

191

Halichoeres ornatissimus

1.84

1.24

0.50

27

Hemitaurichthys polylepis

0.78

2.32

0.92

118

Hemitaurichthys thompsoni

0.61

2.31

0.92

151

Labroides phthirophagus

1.87

0.96

0.38

20

Lutjanus kasmira

0.22

0.74

0.29

135

Macropharyngodon geoffroyi

0.13

0.34

0.14

105

Melichthys niger

2.06

3.51

1.40

68

Melichthys vidua

0.71

0.71

0.28

40

Monotaxis grandoculis

0.49

1.28

0.51

105

Mulloidichthys flavolineatus

0.09

0.42

0.17

191

Mulloidichthys vanicolensis

5.61

14.04

5.59

100

Myripristis amaena

0.13

0.63

0.25

191

Myripristis berndti

4.12

7.15

2.85

69

Myripristis kuntee

2.01

4.24

1.69

84

Naso hexacanthus

0.22

0.52

0.21

95

Naso lituratus

1.99

1.54

0.61

31

Neoniphon sammara

0.43

0.90

0.36

82

Novaculichthys taeniourus

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Ostracion meleagris

0.22

0.50

0.20

91

Oxycheilinus unifasciatus

0.67

0.60

0.24

35

Paracirrhites arcatus

5.69

6.76

2.69

47

Paracirrhites forsteri

1.04

0.73

0.29

28

Parupeneus bifasciatus

0.91

1.12

0.45

49

Parupeneus cyclostomus

0.26

0.75

0.30

115

Parupeneus multifasciatus

1.26

0.99

0.39

31

Parupeneus porphyreus

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Pervagor aspricaudus

0.51

1.02

0.41

80

Plagiotremus goslinei

0.26

0.54

0.22

83

Plectroglyphidodon imparipennis

0.22

0.52

0.21

95

Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus

2.57

1.22

0.49

19

Priacanthus meeki

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Pseudocheilinus evanidus

2.19

1.29

0.51

23

Pseudocheilinus octotaenia

3.29

1.79

0.71

22

Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia

1.91

1.32

0.53

27

Pseudojuloides cerasinus

0.26

0.75

0.30

115

Sargocentron ensiferum

0.26

0.92

0.36

140

Sargocentron spiniferum

0.09

0.29

0.11

132

Sargocentron spp.

0.22

0.67

0.27

123

Sargocentron tiere

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Sargocentron xantherythrum

0.26

0.69

0.27

105

Saurida gracilis

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Scarus dubius

0.13

0.46

0.18

140

Scarus perspicillatus

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Scarus psittacus

0.20

0.94

0.37

191

Scarus rubroviolaceus

0.48

1.08

0.43

90

Scarus sordidus

2.50

3.70

1.47

59

Scorpaenopsis cacopsis

0.09

0.29

0.11

132

Scorpaenopsis diabolus

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Stegastes fasciolatus

1.86

2.77

1.10

59

Stethojulis balteata

0.49

0.61

0.24

49

Sufflamen bursa

1.54

0.83

0.33

21

Synodus dermatogenys

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Synodus spp.

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Synodus ulae

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Synodus variegatus

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Thalassoma ballieui

0.04

0.21

0.08

191

Thalassoma duperrey

6.51

2.58

1.03

16

Xanthichthys auromarginatus

0.73

1.35

0.54

74

Zanclus cornutus

0.73

0.87

0.35

47

 

D. Coral Assessment Protocol

We will utilize standard methods developed in conjunction with the Hawai'i Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (CRAMP) to estimate substratum abundance, diversity and distribution. Currently these include digital video imaging to record 50 contiguous frames along each transect line (n=200 photographs for each site). Images are analyzed to obtain percent cover estimates for substratum types. See coral monitoring for more information.

 


Last update: 1/25/2005