A cooperative multiagency reef fish monitoring protocol for the Florida and US Virgin Islands coral reef ecosystems: Protocol narrative version—2.0

Reef fish populations play a vital ecological and economic role in the coral reef ecosystems of Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). However, these populations face significant threats from habitat degradation, rising global temperature, coral diseases, and increased fishing pressures. Traditional fishery-dependent data have proven inadequate for accurately assessing reef fish populations, necessitating the development of standardized, fishery-independent methodology. This document presents the Cooperative Multiagency Reef Fish Monitoring Protocol, a unified methodology designed to assess reef fish populations through visual census techniques. The protocol represents the consolidation of two distinct monitoring programs in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, refining over 40 years of research and survey design improvements. Utilizing a single-stage stratified random sampling design, this methodology optimizes data collection by segmenting survey areas into 50 × 50 meter (164 × 164 feet) grid cells based on habitat type, depth, and management status. Surveys are conducted by region biennially using the Reef Visual Census (RVC) stationary point count method, which allows divers to record fish abundance, size structure, and habitat characteristics efficiently. Key objectives of the monitoring protocol include tracking relative fish densities, spatial distributions and size structures of both target and non-target species. The protocol also facilitates the evaluation of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other fishery management regulations. Data collected contribute to understanding sustainable fisheries management and conservation efforts and the impacts of environmental stressors and human activities. Findings from previous surveys indicate significant declines in economically important species such as snappers and groupers due to overfishing and habitat loss. Additionally, factors such as coral bleaching, hurricanes, invasive species (e.g., lionfish), and coastal development have altered reef fish communities. By standardizing monitoring efforts, this protocol provides robust, comparable data that inform fishery stock assessments, regulatory changes, and adaptive management strategies. This initiative is a collaborative effort among federal and territorial agencies, academic institutions, and conservation organizations, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the University of Miami, the National Park Service (NPS), and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). NOAA serves as the data management and survey design lead, ensuring data integrity and accessibility for research and policy applications. As reef ecosystems continue to face ecological challenges, this protocol remains essential for guiding effective conservation and management decisions. Ongoing refinements in methodology, expansion into deeper reef habitats, and integration of advanced data collection technologies will further enhance monitoring efforts, ultimately contributing to the long-term sustainability of reef fish populations and their ecosystems.