Biological Reef Monitoring in Broward County

Broward County's Natural Resources Planning and Management Division has been monitoring its reef system continuously since 1997 and periodically since the 1980s. Twenty-five permanent research sites are located along the twenty-three miles of coastline. Transect lines have been established at each station and the numbers and various species of corals and sponges are recorded to compare spatial and temporal differences throughout the reef system. Along each transect line, one square-meter quadrats are photographed and studied to monitor changes in the reef environment and fish counts are carried out to identify species assemblages found at each of the study sites. In addition, sediment fallout collections are sampled at each of the research stations to determine the amount and grain size distribution of suspended sediments that settle onto the reef. The results of the biological monitoring will not only provide a time series record of Broward County's reef system, but also assist in the identification of stressors which may damage or change the numbers and populations of corals and sponges on the reef.