Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series MSD-00-3

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Ocean Service

Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management

Marine Sanctuaries Division

August 2000

Flower Garden Banks

National Marine Sanctuary

A Rapid Assessment of Coral, Fish, and

Algae Using the AGRRA Protocol
About the Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Sanctuary Division (MSD)

administers the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Its mission is to identify, designate,

protect and manage the ecological, recreational, research, educational, historical, and aesthetic

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Because of considerable differences in settings, resources, and threats, each marine sanctuary

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enforcement programs vary accordingly. The integration of these programs is fundamental to

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supports this integration by providing a forum for publication and discussion of the complex

issues currently facing the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Topics of published reports

vary substantially and may include descriptions of educational programs, discussions on

resource management issues, and results of scientific research and monitoring projects. The

series will facilitate integration of natural sciences, socioeconomic and cultural sciences,

education, and policy development to accomplish the diverse needs of NOAA’s resource

protection mandate.
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary:

A Rapid Assessment of Coral, Fish, and Algae Using the AGRRA Protocol

Christy Pattengill-Semmens1, Stephen R. Gittings2, and Thomas Shyka2

1Reef Environmental Education Foundation and NOAA/National Marine Sanctuary Program

2NOAA/National Marine Sanctuary Program

U. S. Department of Commerce

William M. Daley, Secretary

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

D. James Baker, Under Secretary

Silver Spring, Maryland National Ocean Service

August 2000 Margaret Davidson, Assistant Administrator, Acting
DISCLAIMER

Report content does not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the National Marine

Sanctuary Program or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, nor does the

mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for

use.

REPORT AVAILABILITY

Electronic copies of this report may be downloaded from the National Marine Sanctuaries

Program web site at www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov. Hard copies may be available from the

following address:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Marine Sanctuaries Division

SSMC4, N/ORM62

1305 East-West Highway

Silver Spring, MD 20910

SUGGESTED CITATION

Pattengill-Semmens, C., S.R. Gittings, and T. Shyka. 2000. Flower Garden Banks National

Marine Sanctuary: A Rapid Assessment of Coral, Fish, and Algae Using the AGRRA Protocol.

Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series MSD-00-3. U.S. Department of Commerce, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Marine Sanctuaries Division, Silver Spring, MD. 15

pp.
i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Table of Contents.................................................................................................. i

List of Figures and Tables........................................................................ ii

Abstract............................................................................................. iii

Introduction....................................................................................... 1

Methods............................................................................................ 2

Results.............................................................................................. 4

Discussion.......................................................................................... 6

Literature Cited.................................................................................... 6

Acknowledgments................................................................................. 7

Appendix I: Figures and Tables..................................................................................... 8
ii

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

 Page

Figure 1. Study Area................................................................................ 9

Figure 2a. WFG Buoy Location................................................................... 9

Figure 2b. EFG Buoy Location.................................................................... 9

Table 1. Site Information and Transect Survey Effort.......................................... 10

Table 2. Summary Coral Data..................................................................... 10

Figure 3a. Coral Relative Abundance- WFG.................................................... 11

Figure 3b. Coral Relative Abundance- EFG.................................................... 11

Figure 4. Fish Species Composition and Density............................................... 12

Table 3. Algal Quadrat Summar................................................................. 12

Table 4. Twenty-five Most Common Fish Species............................................ 13

Table 5. Biomass of Families..................................................................... 14

Figure 5a. Carnivore Size Frequency Distribution ............................................. 15

Figure 5b. Herbivore Size Frequency Distribution ............................................. 15
iii

ABSTRACT

The Flower Garden Banks are topographic features on the edge of the continental shelf in

the northwest Gulf of Mexico. These banks are approximately 175 km southeast of Galveston,

Texas at 28° north latitude and support the northernmost coral reefs on the North American

continental shelf. The East and West Flower Garden Banks (EFG and WFG) and Stetson Bank,

a smaller sandstone bank approximately 110 km offshore, are managed and protected as the

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). As part of a region-wide

initiative to assess coral reef condition, the benthic and fish communities of the EFG and WFG

were assessed using the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) protocol. The

AGRRA survey was conducted during a week-long cruise in August 1999 that was jointly

sponsored by the FGBNMS and the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF). A total

of 25 coral transects, 132 algal quadrats, 24 fish transects, and 26 Roving Diver (REEF) surveys

were conducted. These surveys revealed reefs with high coral cover, dominated by large, healthy

corals, little macroalgae, and healthy fish populations. The percent live coral cover was 53.9 and

48.8 at the WFG and EFG, respectively, and the average colony diameter was 93 and 81 cm.

Fish diversity was lower than most Caribbean reefs, but large abundances and size of many

species reflected the low fishing pressure on the banks. The benthic and fish assemblages at the

EFG and WFG were similar. Due to its near pristine conditions, the FGB data will prove to be a

valuable component in the AGRRA database and its resulting scale of reef condition for the

region.

Keywords: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef

Assessment (AGRRA) Protocol, coral reef, reef health, reef fish, monitoring
1

INTRODUCTION

The East and West Flower Garden Banks (EFG and WFG), located 175 km southeast of

Galveston, Texas, are underwater features on the edge of the U.S. Gulf Coast continental shelf

(Fig. 1). The banks were caused by the uplift of Jurassic-age salt and rise about 100 m above the

surrounding depths to within 18 m of the surface. The banks support reefs that are the

northernmost coral reefs in the continental U.S. The reefs of the Flower Garden Banks have been

well documented and are characterized by low coral diversity, high coral cover, large coral size,

and low macroalgae abundance relative to most Caribbean reefs (Bright and Pequegnat, 1974;

Bright et al., 1974; Boland et al., 1983; Dennis, 1985; Rezak et al., 1985; Dennis and Bright,

1988; Gittings et al., 1993). The Flower Gardens are dominated by massive coral species and

lack gorgonian and acroporid species. Fish diversity is also comparatively low (approximately

260 species), but abundances are high (Pattengill, 1998). Fish families and groups that are notably

absent or represented by one or few species in low abundance include grunts (Haemulidae),

snappers (Lutjanidae), and hamlets (Hypoplectrus sp.). The banks are year-round habitat for

manta rays (Manta birostris and Mobula hypostoma) and whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), and

serve as a winter habitat for several species of schooling sharks, including hammerhead (Sphyrna

lewini) and silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis), and spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari)

(J. Childs, pers. comm.).

A unique feature of the EFG is a brine seep at 72 m. The seep is the only one of its kind

on the continental shelf and the shallowest brine seep documented. It features a brine pool with a

chemosynthetic bacterial assemblage that is known to be a significant exporter of carbon to the

deeper parts of the bank (Rezak et al., 1985). The seep also plays a significant role in the

physiographic structure of the bank due to the dissolution of salt, which results in local faulting

and subsidence.

The EFG and WFG are managed and protected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Marine Sanctuary Program and the Department of

Interior’s Minerals Management Service, and, together with Stetson Bank, they make up the

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). There is a relatively low level of

anthropogenic impact on the Flower Gardens, mainly due to the distance of the banks from land.

Very little fishing pressure exists on the reefs. A long-term monitoring program has been in place

for approximately 20 years, and historical changes have been attributed primarily to natural

events, such as the Diadema die-off and periodic coral bleaching. The main source of humaninduced disturbance is mechanical damage due to anchors, cable drags (seismic and tow cables),

and occasionally long-line fishing tackle. SCUBA diving is allowed on the banks and moorings

have been installed to reduce anchor damage. Spearfishing and fishing techniques that disturb

benthic habitats, including trawls, traps, and bottom long-lines, are prohibited (15CFR922.122 or

http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/oms/pdfs/FlowerGardensRegs.pdf; Subpart L).

During the summer of 1999, an Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA)

expedition to the FGB was coordinated by NOAA and the Reef Environmental Education
2

Foundation (REEF). This expedition was conducted in conjunction with the annual FGBNMS

REEF Field Survey for volunteer fish monitoring. The Flower Garden Banks (FGB), with their

impressive coral and fish assemblages, were chosen as an AGRRA survey site because the

AGRRA program is particularly interested in identifying "end-member" reefs, those that are

severely depressed or, like the FGB, those that are unusually luxuriant. This paper reports the

results of the Flower Garden Banks AGRRA expedition.

METHODS

In August 1999, an AGRRA assessment was conducted on the reefs of the EFG and the

WFG (Fig. 1). The survey team included seven scientists from the National Marine Sanctuary

Program and three REEF experts. The surveys were done at the NOAA long-term monitoring

sites, EFG Buoy 2 and WFG Buoy 5 (Figs. 2a and 2b). Benthic and fish surveys were conducted

simultaneously. Five divers conducted coral transects and algal quadrats. Three divers conducted

belt transects and roving diver (RDT) surveys to assess reef fish. All surveys were done during

daylight hours, between depths of 20 and 28 m. Due to the deep minimum depth of the banks,

only one depth at each site was surveyed. The AGRRA protocol is fully described on the Web

site http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/agra, and a brief description is given below.

For coral sampling, a 10 m transect line was haphazardly laid. Coral cover was estimated

to the nearest 10 cm based on the number of meters of live coral beneath the line. The following

was then recorded or estimated for each coral greater than 25 cm in diameter underneath the line:

genus and species, maximum diameter and maximum height to the nearest 10 cm, mortality,

disease, and bleaching level. Mortality was recorded as percent of the colony in plan view and

was separated into recent and old death. A portion of a colony was considered recently dead if

the calices were still uneroded and showed all septal features without overgrowth of encrusting

organisms. The incidence of disease and the amount of recent mortality due to disease were

noted. Bleaching was recorded in three categories (pale, spotty bleaching, white) as a percentage

of the whole colony. Damselfish maintaining an algal garden on a colony were also recorded.

After completing the coral sampling, a 25 X 25 cm quadrat was used to estimate relative

algal abundance at the 3, 5, 7, 9 m intervals along the transect. The sample quadrat was placed

next to the transect line in a way that large invertebrates or large living hard corals were avoided.

For each quadrat, the following was estimated: percent abundance macroalgae, turf algae, and

crustose coralline algae and average macroalgae canopy height. After completion of the quadrats,

all Diadema antillarum that could be seen in a 1 m belt along the transect line were counted. The

AGRRA protocol requires that a minimum of 50 quadrats and 100 coral colonies are measured at

each site.

To survey the fishes at each site, surveyors conducted 12 random belt transects (2 m x

30 m). All species of the following groups were counted: grouper (Serranidae), snapper

(Lutjanidae), grunt (Haemulidae), parrotfish (Scaridae), surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), leatherjacket

(Balistidae), angelfish (Pomacanthidae), and butterflyfish (Chaetondontidae). Five additional
3

species were also counted: yellowtail damselfish (Microspathodon chrysurus), hogfish

(Lacholaimus maximus), Spanish hogfish (Bodianus rufus), barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda),

and bar jack (Caranx ruber). The size of each fish counted was estimated and each was assigned

to a size category (<5 cm, 5-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, >40 cm) using a 1 m T-bar with 10 cm

increments marked for scale. Grunts and parrotfishes less than 5 cm in length and the greenblotch

parrotfish (Sparisoma atomarium) were not recorded, per the AGRRA protocol.

At least three roving diver technique (RDT) surveys were also conducted at each site.

During RDT surveys, divers swam freely throughout the dive site and recorded every observed

species. Average survey time was 40 minutes. At the conclusion of each survey, all recorded

species were assigned one of four log10 abundance categories [single (1); few (2-10); many (11-

100); and abundant (>100)]. The species data along, with survey time, depth, temperature, and

other environmental information, were then transferred to a REEF scansheet. These sheets were

returned to REEF and optically scanned into the REEF database.

Data Analysis

The benthic and fish transect data were entered into a custom Excel spreadsheet provided

by the AGRRA organizing committee. REEF provided the RDT data in ASCII format.

The percent coral cover, percent mortality, mean colony size, incidence of disease and

bleaching, and relative algal cover were calculated and compared between banks using a t-test. A

macroalgal index, calculated as:

Macroalgal Index = % relative macroalgal cover x canopy height,

was also used as a comparison metric. Using the fish transects as replicates, the average density

(#/100 m2) and size (cm) of each fish species and family recorded was calculated for each site.

The average density and size of each species and family were compared between banks using a ttest. Transect data were also used to calculate biomass for each species, using standardized

conversion equations (P. Kramer, pers. comm.). The RDT survey data provided a species list,

and frequency of occurrence and relative abundance data for each bank. Percent sighting

frequency (%SF) for each species was the percentage of dives on which the species was recorded.

An estimate of abundance (Den) was calculated as:

Density score = ((nSx1)+(nFx2)+(nMx3)+(nAx4)) / (nS + nF + nM + nA),

where nS, nF, nM, and nA represented the number of times each abundance category (single, few,

many, abundant) was assigned for a given species.
4

RESULTS

At EFG, 160 coral colonies were surveyed on 14 transects, 67 algae quadrats examined,

15 RDT fish surveys conducted, and 12 fish belt transects conducted. At the WFG 135 coral

colonies were surveyed on 11 transects, 55 algae quadrats were examined, 11 RDT fish surveys

conducted, and 12 fish belt transects were performed. Survey effort and site details are given in

Table 1. Overall, these surveys revealed reefs with high coral cover and large corals with low

incidence of disease and mortality. The percent live coral cover was 53.9 and 48.8 at the WFG

and EFG, respectively (Table 1).

Table 2 provides a summary of coral colony status, including size, mortality, and

incidence of bleaching and disease. Average colony diameter at the WFG and EFG was 93 and 81

cm, respectively. At both sites, most colonies with mortality were less than 10% dead with very

low recent mortality (<2.5% of the colony in plan view). Incidence of disease was minimal, but

parrotfish bites were reported on approximately 10% of colonies surveyed. Pale bleaching was

reported in a few colonies.

Colonies of nine species of coral were recorded in the transects at the WFG and 11

species at the EFG. Dominant corals at the WFG were Montastraea franksii (40% of all colonies

counted), Diploria strigosa (27%), Montastraea cavernosa (8%), and Montastraea faveolata

(7%) (Fig. 3a). Dominant corals at the EFG were Montastraea franksii (37%), Porites asteroides

(16%), Montastraea cavernosa (13%), and Diploria strigosa (13%) (Fig. 3b).

Macroalgae cover was very low at both sites, representing less than 10% of the algae

cover observed (Table 3). Average macroalgal height was 1.0 cm, yielding a very low macroalgal

index of 3.9 and 7.8 at the WFG and EFG, respectively. A cyanobacteria mat was observed at

the EFG, and was common in the algal quadrats, on the sand flats, and on several coral heads.

Cyanobacteria present in quadrats were counted as turf algae in all quadrats but three, where, due

to diver error, it was counted as macro.

Most of the benthic parameters were similar between the EFG and WFG. However, ttests revealed significantly larger coral colonies at the WFG and higher relative turf algae cover at

the EFG (p<0.05). The difference in turf algae values was most likely due to the cyanobacterial

bloom on the EFG.

Average density of fishes, grouped by family, is shown in Figure 4. Parrotfish were the

most abundant fish recorded in the transects. Grunts, several species of parrotfish and snapper,

hogfish (Lacholaimus maximus), and gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) were absent at both

banks, a distinguishing characteristic of the Flower Garden Banks’ fish assemblages (Pattengill,

1998). Average density for most families and species was similar between the EFG and WFG.

The densities of graysby (Epinephelus cruentatus) and Spanish hogfish (Bodianthus rufus) at the

WFG were approximately twice those at EFG (t-test; p<0.05). The density of the reef
5

butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius) was two and a half times greater at the WFG. However,

this difference was not significant (t-test; p=0.059).

A total of 117 fish species were seen by the AGRRA team during RDT surveys at the

EFG and WFG. The 25 most common species, along with the %SF and Den as calculated from

the RDT data, are listed in Table 4. Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), sharpnose puffer

(Canthigaster rostrata), and black durgon (Melichthys niger) were documented in all surveys.

The most abundant species were: bluehead (Thalassoma bifasciatum), threespot damselfish

(Stegastes planifrons), queen parrotfish (Scarus vetula), and the planktivorous creole fish

(Paranthias furcifer) and brown chromis (Chromis multilineata). Species that were relatively

common at the FGB but are rarely seen at most other Caribbean reefs include longsnout

butterflyfish (Chaetodon aculeatus), blue angelfish (Holacanthus bermudensis), and several

species of jacks (Carangidae). Individuals of the golden phase of the smooth trunkfish

(Lactophrys triqueter), a phase unique to the FGBNMS (Pattengill-Semmens, 1999), were also

sighted. One new record for the banks, a sharptail eel (Myrichthys breviceps), was recorded at the

WFG. An individual of the same species was also recorded on video earlier in the summer.

An additional 15 REEF volunteers conducted 74 RDT surveys during the cruise. These

data were not included in the AGRRA data set. However, they were added to the REEF

database, which can be accessed from the REEF Web site (http://www.reef.org). As a result of

annual REEF field surveys to the banks since 1993, the REEF database currently contains 1,495

surveys (over 1,100 survey hours) from the FGBNMS and represents a valuable source of

information for the Sanctuary management. To date, 257 fish species have been documented at

the FGBNMS. A comprehensive fish species list for the FGB has been published using these

data (Pattengill, 1998).

Average size of parrotfish and seabass was relatively high (22 and 25 cm, respectively),

most likely a result of low fishing pressure on the reefs. This resulted in relatively high biomass

(Table 5). Size frequency distributions of two feeding guilds, carnivore (grouper and snapper)

and herbivore (parrotfish, surgeonfish, and yellowtail damselfish (Microspathodon chrysurus)),

are shown in Figure 5. Three-fourths of the carnivores reported were grouper, with gray snapper

(Lutjanus griseus) making up the remainder. Approximately 45% of the carnivores recorded

were greater than 31 cm in length. All size categories were documented in herbivores, with

approximately 70% of individuals between 11 and 30cm. For most species, average size of

species recorded in the transect surveys were similar between the EFG and WFG. Significant

differences in size were detected by a t-test in the blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus), princess

parrotfish (Scarus taeniopterus), and yellowtail damselfish. Recruitment success appears to be

driving these differences, with a high abundance of juvenile blue tang on the WFG and a high

number of juvenile princess parrotfish and yellowtail damselfish on the EFG.
6

DISCUSSION

Based on the general description of a healthy system put forth by the AGRRA organizing

committee, the benthos and fish condition data collected during the AGRRA assessment at the

FGB indicate that the status of the reef community is relatively healthy. These reefs have low

incidence of coral disease and mortality, very little macroalgae, and support a large biomass of

fishes, including significant numbers of large carnivores. Data collected during this assessment

also corroborate the findings of previous studies on the condition of the FGB reefs-- that these

reefs have high coral cover, are dominated by large boulder corals, and support a community of

low diversity, high density fishes. Pale bleaching was evident in some colonies, but in general,

the Flower Garden Banks are less susceptible to bleaching than other coral reefs because they are

fairly deep. The regional mass bleaching event in 1998 did not occur at the FGB.

The physical location of the FGB, as deep reefs on offshore banks far removed from land

with minimal anthropogenic disturbance, put this area toward the end of the spectrum of tropical

western Atlantic coral reefs. The reefs of the FGB have been and continue to be well studied. A

long-term monitoring project has been in place for over 20 years. The FGB have been described

as "near pristine," and provide an important piece of the regional picture of meso-American reef

health. The importance of the AGRRA data collected there will become more evident when

AGRRA data from dozens of sites are compiled to create a more complete picture of the current

status of the western Atlantic coral reefs. In addition, the consistent application of survey

methods among regional reefs should prove to be valuable for the understanding and management

of these ecosystems.

LITERATURE CITED

Boland, G S, B J Gallaway, J S Baker, G S Lewbel (1983) Ecological effects of energy

development on reef fish of the Flower Garden Banks. Final Report. LGL Ecological

Research Associates. Houston, TX, 466 p.

Bright, T J, L H Pequegnat (1974) Biota of the West Flower Garden Bank. Gulf Publishing Co.,

Houston, TX, 435 p.

Bright, T J, W E Pequegnat, R Dubois, D A Gettleson (1974) Baseline Survey Stetson Bank

Gulf of Mexico. Signal Oil and Gas Co., 38 p.

Dennis, G D (1985) Tropical reef fish assemblages in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. M.S.

Thesis, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 184 p.

Dennis, G D, T J Bright (1988) Reef fish assemblages on hard banks in the northwestern Gulf

of Mexico. Bull Mar Sci 43(2): 280-307

Gittings, S R, T J Bright, D K Hagman (1993) Protection and monitoring of reefs on the Flower

Garden Banks, 1972-1992. Proc. Coll. on Global Aspects of Coral Reefs: Health,

Hazards and History. pp. 181-187

Pattengill, C V (1998) The structure and persistence of reef fish assemblages of the Flower

Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas A&M University,

College Station, TX. 176 p.
7

Pattengill-Semmens, C V (1999) Occurrence of a unique color morph in the smooth trunkfish

(Lactophrys triqueter) at the Flower Garden Banks and Stetson Bank, northwest Gulf of

Mexico. Bull Mar Sci 65(2): 587-591

Rezak, R, T J Bright, D W McGrail (1985) Reefs and Banks of the Northwestern Gulf of

Mexico: Their Geological, Biological and Physical Dynamics. John Wiley and Sons, New

York, 259 p.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project was made possible by the AGRRA research team- S. Bernhardt (Texas

A&M University), K. Deaver (REEF), S. Gittings (NOAA), D. Mizell (REEF), C. Ostrom

(NOAA), C. Pattengill-Semmens (REEF), G.P. Schmahl (NOAA), T. Shyka (NOAA), P. Souik

(NOAA), and M. Tartt (NOAA). The support of the M/V Spree crew and Rinn Boats, Inc. is

appreciated. Funding support for this cruise was provided by the Flower Garden Banks

National Marine Sanctuary, the Science Team of the National Marine Sanctuary Program, and

REEF and its volunteers. The surveys provided by the REEF volunteers are also greatly

appreciated.
8

Appendix I

Tables and Figures
9

Figure 1. Study Area, showing the three banks of the Flower Garden Banks National

Marine Sanctuary.

Figure 2a. WFG survey location – buoy 5. The

lightest shaded area is the coral reef of the WFG

Bank. Darker shaded areas are deeper.

Figure 2b. EFG survey location – buoy 2. The two

lightly shaded areas are the reefs on the EFG Bank.

Darker shaded areas are deeper.
Site Name Reef 

Type

Lat/Long Date of 

Survey

# Benthic 

Transects

# Corals 

(>25cm)/t

ransect

Live Coral 

Cover (%) 

(SE)

# Fish 

Transects

Fish 

Species 

Richness*

WFG #5 bank 27o

 55.30N; 

93o 48.54W 8/17/03 11 12.3 53.9 (16.5) 12 117

EFG #2 bank 27o

 54.32N; 

93o 35.49W 8/19/03 14 11.4 48.8 (15.8) 12 117

*Species richness value is based on RDT surveys combined for both banks.

Table 1. Site information and transect survey effort.

Site 

Name

# Colonies 

Surveyed

Mean Colony 

Diameter (cm)

Mean Colony 

Height (cm)

Mean 

Recent 

Mortality 

(%)

Mean Old 

Mortality 

(%)

Mean Total 

Mortality 

(%)

Colonies 

Bleached* 

(%)

Colonies 

Diseased 

(%)

WFG 135 93.0 (71.8) 36.2 (41.4) 1.57 (4.3) 13.0 (21.0) 13.3 (20.7) 5.2 0

EFG 160 81.1 (53.2) 32.7 (26.5) 2.44 (7.2) 10.6 (18.6) 12.7 (20.6) 16.3 0

*includes all colonies with any level (pale, white, etc.) and amount (partial, complete) of bleaching

Table 2. Summary coral data. Standard error (SE) is provided, when appropriate, in parentheses.

10
11

WFG

others*

8%

Montastrea franksi

40%

Porites astreoides

4%

Diploria strigosa

27%

M. cavernosa

8%

M. faveolata

7%

Colpophyllia 

natans

6%

EFG

others*

6%

Montastrea 

franksi

37%

Porites 

astreoides

16%

Diploria strigosa

13%

M. cavernosa

13%

M. faveolata

9%

Colpophyllia 

natans

6%

Figure 3a. Coral relative abundance- WFG (*others include

Stephanocoenia intersepta, Madracis decactis, and Agaricia agaricites.)

Figure 3b. Coral relative abundance- EFG (*others include

Stephanocoenia intersepta, Madracis decactis, Montastrea annularis,

Madracis mirabilis, and Siderastrea siderea.)
12

 Figure 4. Fish species composition and density.

Table 3. Algal quadrat summary. Variance (SE) is provided, when appropriate, in parentheses.

Site

Name

Number

Of

Quadrats

Relative

Macro

Cover

(%)

Relative

Turf

Cover

(%)

Relative

Crustose

Cover (%)

Macro

Height

(cm)

Macroalgal

Index1

Coral

Recruits

(#/quadrat)

Diadema

(#/quadrat)

WFG 55 4.4

(9.9)

41.0

(30.4)

14.8

(25.3)

0.9 (0.3) 3.9 0.15 0.91

EFG 67 7.1

(12.9)

63.5

(30.5)

10.7

(12.8)

1.1 (0.5) 7.8 0.10 0.01

1Macroalgal Index is relative macro algal cover x macro algal height

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

WFG

EFG
13

Common Name Scientific Name Sighting 

Frequency 

Den

Great Barracuda Sphyraena barracuda 100.0 2.8

Sharpnose Puffer Canthigaster rostrata 100.0 2.7

Black Durgon Melichthys niger 100.0 2.4

Reef Butterflyfish Chaetodon sedentarius 96.0 2.2

Yellowtail Damselfish Microspathodon chrysurus 96.0 1.9

Yellow Goatfish Mulloidichthys martinicus 96.0 2.6

Graysby Epinephelus cruentatus 96.0 1.8

Queen Parrotfish Scarus vetula 96.0 3.0

Stoplight Parrotfish Sparisoma viride 96.0 2.7

Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleus 96.0 2.3

Smooth Trunkfish Lactophrys triqueter 92.5 1.8

Threespot Damselfish Stegastes planifrons 92.5 3.2

Creole Wrasse Clepticus parrae 92.5 2.8

Bermuda Chub/Yellow Chub Kyphosus sectatrix/incisor 87.5 2.9

Brown Chromis Chromis multilineata 84.5 3.5

Bicolor Damselfish Stegastes partitus 84.5 3.1

Spanish Hogfish Bodianus rufus 84.5 2.8

Bluehead Thalassoma bifasciatum 84.5 3.6

Princess Parrotfish Scarus taeniopterus 84.0 2.7

Orangespotted Filefish Cantherhines pullus 80.0 1.6

Creole fish Paranthias furcifer 80.0 3.8

Yellowhead Wrasse Halichoeres garnoti 77.0 2.3

Rock Beauty Holacanthus tricolor 76.0 1.7

Ocean Surgeonfish Acanthurus bahianus 73.0 2.5

Blue Chromis Chromis cyanea 72.5 2.3

Table 4. Twenty-five most common fish species. Data are calculated from RDT 

surveys.
14

Site Name Parrotfish Surgeonfish Seabass Snapper Grunt Macroalgal 

Index*

WFG 1689.0 

(2282.6)

274.0 

(286.1)

591.1 

(459.1) 5536.2 0 3.9

EFG 1284.0 

(1640.9)

570.0 

(503.8)

730.1 

(512.6)

2662.0 

(1152.7) 0 7.8

*Macroalgal Index is relative macroalgal cover x macroalgal height

Table 5. Biomass of families. Values are in g/100m2 with SE in parentheses.
15

Carnivore Size Frequency

0

10

20

30

40

50

0-5 6-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 >40

Size (cm)

Proportion (%)

WFG

EFG

Herbivore Size Frequency

0

10

20

30

40

50

0-5 6-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 >40

Size (cm)

Proportion (%)

WFG

EFG

Figure 5a. Carnivore size frequency distribution (includes grouper and

snapper species).

Figure 5b. Herbivore size frequency distribution (includes parrotfish

and surgeonfish species and yellowtail damselfish).