Benthic Surveys in Culebra, Puerto Rico: comprehensive assessment of seagrass community structure and demography from transect surveys conducted in 2014 and 2022

Description

This record provides seagrass habitat metrics collected in 2014 and 2022 at 13 monitoring stations in Ensenada Honda and Puerto Manglar in the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico, as part of Culebra's Ridge-to-Reef Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to assess the effectiveness of the NOAA strategies and actions in priority watersheds to reduce land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) impacts to the nearshore marine ecosystems of the island. Metrics include benthic cover of: total seagrasses, seagrasses by species, macroalgae, coralline algae, scleractinian corals, sponges, and sand/sediments, short shoot densities, and epiphyte relative abundance. At each monitoring station, three replicate 30 meter transects were set up, oriented perpendicular to shoreline and extending offshore. A 0.25 m2 PVC sampling quadrat (50 cm x 50 cm) divided into 25 grid units (10 cm x 10 cm each) was used to estimate attributes of the seagrass community within each of 30 quadrats sampled contiguously (one at each meter mark) along each 30 m transect. Transect #2 was extended to the edge of the bed and seagrass community attributes were recorded within four quadrats placed equidistant from the 30 meter mark to the edge of the bed. Within each 0.25 m2 quadrat. seagrass community attributes were recorded implementing visually estimated Braun Blanquet (1932) index scores. Seagrass habitat metrics recorded included: 1- Total seagrass cover by species (i.e., Thalassia testudinum, Syringodium filiforme, Halodule wrightii, and Halophila stipulacea). Halophila was recorded as an individual seagrass species, but not considered in the total seagrass cover score. 2) Total cover of macroalgae, calcareous algae, sponge, corals, and sediment and/or rubble. 3) Epiphytic load index. 4) Short shoot densities (# shoots/100 cm2); collected within a single randomized 100 cm2 (10 cm x 10 cm) grid box within each quadrat along the 30 m transect.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
0 Comprehensive seagrass community structure and demography from transect surveys conducted in 2014 and 2022 in Culebra Island, Caribbean Sea (NCEI Accession 0301897 https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0301897
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/71162
0 Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2024. GCMD Keywords, Version 19. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocm/dmp/pdf/71162.pdf
0 Comprehensive seagrass community structure and demography from transect surveys conducted in 2014 and 2022 in Culebra Island, Caribbean Sea (NCEI Accession 0301897 https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0301897
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/71162
0 Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/ocm/dmp/pdf/71162.pdf

Tags

  • human dimensions
  • office of coastal management
  • ensenada honda
  • national ocean service
  • ecosystems
  • biosphere
  • puerto manglar
  • seagrass demographics
  • quadrats
  • community dynamics
  • plants
  • oceans
  • benthic cover
  • seagrass monitoring transects
  • noaa restoration center
  • continent
  • noaa
  • caribbean sea
  • data collections
  • biological classification
  • culebra island
  • marine ecosystems
  • caribbeanregion
  • north america
  • land-based sources of pollution
  • doc/noaa/nos/ocm
  • coastal
  • atlantic ocean
  • watershed restoration
  • u.s. department of commerce
  • diving
  • earth science
  • macrophytes
  • estuary
  • macroalgae (seaweeds)
  • scuba
  • aquatic ecosystems
  • ocean
  • vegetation
  • small boat
  • decadal
  • central america
  • reforestation/revegetation
  • miscellaneous gear
  • marine environment monitoring
  • bottom cover type
  • data analysis
  • community structure
  • nearshore
  • noaa coral reef conservation program
  • habitat conversion/fragmentation
  • coastal processes
  • water oceans and coasts theme
  • puerto rico
  • seagrass epiphytes
  • north atlantic ocean
  • ecological dynamics
  • estuaries
  • seagrass visual assessment
  • seagrasses
  • anthropogenic/human influenced ecosystems
  • sav/sea grass bed
  • 10 meters - < 30 meters
  • zodiacs

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