'%Healthy Reefs for Healthy People - A Guide to Indicators of Reef Health and Social Well-being in the Mesoamerican Reef Region%'%by Melanie McField and Patricia Kramer%

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A P P E N D I X 2.

Maps of Regional Indicator Status from AGRRA database (2005 version)

List of Maps

Legend Key

1. Coral cover

2. Total fish biomass

· Each legend provides the indicator's units

3. Commercial fish biomass

(e.g., % or g/100m2).

4. Rugosity

· Data are separated by two reef types

5. Coral recruitment

-- reef crests and fore reefs.

6. Coral size

· Each map point is colored to represent

7. Recent coral mortality

a scale from Poor to Good conditions as

8. Coral disease

follows:

9. Coral bleaching

Good

10. Parrotfish biomass

Fair

11. Surgeonfish biomass

Poor

Map Data Sources

Multiple indicators of coral reef condition were examined using data from the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef

Assessment (AGRRA) ACCESS database, one of the largest databases in the region with data from over 800

sites in the Caribbean (www.agrra.org). Data used to generate the following maps were obtained from different

AGRRA surveys (table below) and obtained from the AGRRA 2004 database. Exceptions include data for fish

diversity (from Reef Environmental Education Foundation (www.reef.org), Diadema sea urchin abundance (The

Nature Conservancy's Diadema database -www.tnc.org), and Honduras coral cover data (The World Wildlife

Fund- www.wwf.org).

AGRRA data description

Year data collected

Akumal & Xcalak, Quintana Roo, México

March 1999

Central-southern coast, Quintana Roo, México

June-October 1999

Chinchorro Banks, Quintana Roo, México

July 2000

Northern and south-central barrier reef, Belize

May 1999

Lighthouse Atoll, Belize

July-September 1999

Turneffe Atoll, Glovers Reef & barrier reef, Belize

July 2000

Interpretation of Data

Map data presented were collected using similar methods; however, several caveats need to be recognized

when interpreting AGRRA data1,2. First, reefs are inherently different based on natural geomorphology, species

composition and proximity to human impacts, thus natural variation is expected. Second, AGRRA data was

collected at different spatial and temporal scales thus the timing (year data collected such as pre or post

1998 bleaching) and spatial extent (e.g., # of sites, spatial area) varies among the various AGRRA surveys. In

addition, data comparisons are best done when comparing among similar reef types (e.g., reef crests and reef

crests). Caveats notwithstanding, the AGRRA method provides a snapshot assessment of reef condition that

is facilitating multi-scale spatial and temporal comparisons of key species and functional groups and guilds in

the wider Caribbean3.

The `condition scale' shown in each legend was derived by comparing the Mesoamerican Reef data to historical

data averages as well as to the Caribbean averages from the AGRRA database. While the numbers represent

actual data points, the colors are provided as a qualitative assessment of reef condition.

The data shown represents conditions from 1999 2000. Recently, a large scale AGRRA survey of the entire

MAR was conducted between 2005-2006 and this new data, in combination with data from the Mesoamerican

Barrier Reef Project (MBRS), will provide a more comprehensive and updated assessment. Using GIS to map

coral reef condition data can be a useful visual tool for managers.

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