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Puerto Rico Long-Term Coral Reef Monitoring Program database compilation: substrate cover percent, octocoral colony counts, macro invertebrate densities, fish densities, and fish biomass from 1999 to 2025 (NCEI Accession 0204647)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: January 26, 2026 | Last Modified: 2025-12-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
The Puerto Rico Coral Reef Monitoring Program data files include all raw data (by transect) for 86 stations where substrate cover by sessile-benthic categories and fish and motile megabenthic invertebrate taxonomic composition and densities have been characterized from 1999-2025. At present, 42 of these stations are permanent and are surveyed biannually. For the benthic characterization, at each reef station, a set of five 10 meters long permanent transects are surveyed. Sessile-benthic reef communities are characterized by the continuous intercept chain-link method, following the CARICOMP (1994) protocol. Demersal diurnal non-cryptic reef fish populations and motile megabenthic invertebrates are surveyed by sets of five 10 meters long by 3 meters wide (30 m2) belt-transects centered along the reference line of transects used for sessile-benthic characterizations at each reef station. Upon completion of the 10 meters belt-transect survey the diver swims along the same depth and physiographic reef zone for an extra 10 meters to identify fishes and megabenthic invertebrates of commercial value (snappers, groupers, hogfishes, barracuda, mackerels, sharks, lobsters and queen conch) and/or fish species that are considered important reef herbivores (parrotfishes, doctorfishes). For each fish individual within belt-transects, a visual total length (TL) estimate in centimeters was recorded. The cephalothorax length (measurement from the tip of the rostrum to end of the thorax), also known as carapace length (CL) in centimeters was used to report the size of lobsters (Panulirus spp., Scyllarides sp) within belt-transects. Queen conch (Strombus gigas) length was reported as the total (diagonal) shell length in centimeters. With the length-weight relationship information available in FishBase.org, biomass estimates have been calculated for commercially and ecologically important species. The PRCRMP data files also include a site classification spreadsheet with descriptors for each monitoring station, some of which can be used as spatial and temporal factors for statistical analyses. These descriptors include information about depth, habitat type, distance from shore, marine protected areas attributes, coordinates, and other metadata.

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0204647 BENTHIC SPECIES BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA COUNTS biological data BIOMASS CORAL CORAL - CENSUS CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION DEPTH - SENSOR FISH BIOMASS FISH CENSUS FISH SPECIES HABITAT - BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE CENSUS REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER species abundance SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - ORGANISM LENGTH chain swimmer/diver visual observation biological in situ survey survey - biological survey - coral reef survey - swimmer/diver visual observation University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Department of Marine Sciences Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) CORAL REEF STUDIES Caribbean Sea North Atlantic Ocean oceanography DNER - NOAA CRCP Cooperative Agreement Puerto Rico Long-Term Coral Reef Monitoring Program Numeric Data Sets > Benthic Numeric Data Sets > Biology Numeric Data Sets > Fish Census EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Anthozoans/Octocorals EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases > Bleaching EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect monitoring EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Macroinvertebrate Census > Belt Transect EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census > Belt Transect EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Scleractinia (stony corals) EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Habitats EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover Dead percentage EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Macroinvertebrates EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Biomass EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Census EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Census > Macroinvertebrates EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > FISH EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > BIOMASS EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS Active Search Census (roving dive) Band transect Chain transect Line transect VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000) OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA 2T93CH

Complete Metadata
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description The Puerto Rico Coral Reef Monitoring Program data files include all raw data (by transect) for 86 stations where substrate cover by sessile-benthic categories and fish and motile megabenthic invertebrate taxonomic composition and densities have been characterized from 1999-2025. At present, 42 of these stations are permanent and are surveyed biannually. For the benthic characterization, at each reef station, a set of five 10 meters long permanent transects are surveyed. Sessile-benthic reef communities are characterized by the continuous intercept chain-link method, following the CARICOMP (1994) protocol. Demersal diurnal non-cryptic reef fish populations and motile megabenthic invertebrates are surveyed by sets of five 10 meters long by 3 meters wide (30 m2) belt-transects centered along the reference line of transects used for sessile-benthic characterizations at each reef station. Upon completion of the 10 meters belt-transect survey the diver swims along the same depth and physiographic reef zone for an extra 10 meters to identify fishes and megabenthic invertebrates of commercial value (snappers, groupers, hogfishes, barracuda, mackerels, sharks, lobsters and queen conch) and/or fish species that are considered important reef herbivores (parrotfishes, doctorfishes). For each fish individual within belt-transects, a visual total length (TL) estimate in centimeters was recorded. The cephalothorax length (measurement from the tip of the rostrum to end of the thorax), also known as carapace length (CL) in centimeters was used to report the size of lobsters (Panulirus spp., Scyllarides sp) within belt-transects. Queen conch (Strombus gigas) length was reported as the total (diagonal) shell length in centimeters. With the length-weight relationship information available in FishBase.org, biomass estimates have been calculated for commercially and ecologically important species. The PRCRMP data files also include a site classification spreadsheet with descriptors for each monitoring station, some of which can be used as spatial and temporal factors for statistical analyses. These descriptors include information about depth, habitat type, distance from shore, marine protected areas attributes, coordinates, and other metadata.
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identifier gov.noaa.nodc:0204647
issued 2019-10-08T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "0204647",
  "BENTHIC SPECIES",
  "BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA COUNTS",
  "biological data",
  "BIOMASS",
  "CORAL",
  "CORAL - CENSUS",
  "CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION",
  "DEPTH - SENSOR",
  "FISH BIOMASS",
  "FISH CENSUS",
  "FISH SPECIES",
  "HABITAT - BENTHIC",
  "MACROINVERTEBRATE CENSUS",
  "REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER",
  "species abundance",
  "SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT",
  "SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - ORGANISM LENGTH",
  "chain",
  "swimmer/diver",
  "visual observation",
  "biological",
  "in situ",
  "survey",
  "survey - biological",
  "survey - coral reef",
  "survey - swimmer/diver",
  "visual observation",
  "University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Department of Marine Sciences",
  "Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources",
  "Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)",
  "CORAL REEF STUDIES",
  "Caribbean Sea",
  "North Atlantic Ocean",
  "oceanography",
  "DNER - NOAA CRCP Cooperative Agreement",
  "Puerto Rico Long-Term Coral Reef Monitoring Program",
  "Numeric Data Sets > Benthic",
  "Numeric Data Sets > Biology",
  "Numeric Data Sets > Fish Census",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Anthozoans/Octocorals",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases > Bleaching",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect monitoring",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Macroinvertebrate Census > Belt Transect",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census > Belt Transect",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Scleractinia (stony corals)",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Habitats",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover Dead percentage",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Macroinvertebrates",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Biomass",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Census",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Census > Macroinvertebrates",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > FISH",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > BIOMASS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS",
  "Active Search Census (roving dive)",
  "Band transect",
  "Chain transect",
  "Line transect",
  "VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA",
  "2T93CH"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2025-12-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://drna.pr.gov/coralpr/monitoreo/",
  "https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3611",
  "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-009-0582-9"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial -65.1971,17.8843,-67.95077,18.7169
temporal 1999-01-01T00:00:00+00:00/2025-09-30T00:00:00+00:00
title Puerto Rico Long-Term Coral Reef Monitoring Program database compilation: substrate cover percent, octocoral colony counts, macro invertebrate densities, fish densities, and fish biomass from 1999 to 2025 (NCEI Accession 0204647)

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