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Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology
A Biological Condition Gradient For Coral Reefs In The Us Caribbean Territories: Part I. Coral Narrative Rules, Deborah Santavy, Susan K. Jackson, Benjamin Jessup, Jeroen Gerritsen, Caroline Rogers, William S. Fisher, Ernesto Weil, Alina Szmant, David Cuevas-Miranda, Brian K. Walker, Christopher Jeffrey, Patricia Bradley, David Ballantine, Loretta Roberson, Hector Ruiz-Torres, Brandi Todd, Tyler Smith, Randy Clark, Ernesto Diaz, Jorge Bauzá-Ortega, Christina Horstmann, Sandy Raimondo
A Biological Condition Gradient For Coral Reefs In The Us Caribbean Territories: Part I. Coral Narrative Rules, Deborah Santavy, Susan K. Jackson, Benjamin Jessup, Jeroen Gerritsen, Caroline Rogers, William S. Fisher, Ernesto Weil, Alina Szmant, David Cuevas-Miranda, Brian K. Walker, Christopher Jeffrey, Patricia Bradley, David Ballantine, Loretta Roberson, Hector Ruiz-Torres, Brandi Todd, Tyler Smith, Randy Clark, Ernesto Diaz, Jorge Bauzá-Ortega, Christina Horstmann, Sandy Raimondo
Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
As coral reef condition and sustainability continue to decline worldwide, losses of critical habitat and their ecosystem services have generated an urgency to understand and communicate reef response to management actions, environmental contamination, and natural disasters. Increasingly, coral reef protection and restoration programs emphasize the need for robust assessment tools for protecting high-quality waters and establishing conservation goals. Of equal importance is the need to communicate assessment results to stakeholders, beneficiaries, and the public so that environmental consequences of decisions are understood. The Biological Condition (BCG) model provides a structure to evaluate the condition of a coral reef in increments …
A Biological Condition Gradient For Caribbean Coral Reefs: Part Ii. Numeric Rules Using Sessile Benthic Organisms, Deborah L. Santavy, Susan K. Jackson, Benjamin Jessup, Christina Horstmann, Caroline Rogers, Ernesto Weil, Alina Szmant, David Cuevas Miranda, Brian K. Walker, Christopher Jeffrey, David Ballantine, William S. Fisher, Randy Clark, Hector Ruiz Torres, Brandi Todd, Sandy Raimondo
A Biological Condition Gradient For Caribbean Coral Reefs: Part Ii. Numeric Rules Using Sessile Benthic Organisms, Deborah L. Santavy, Susan K. Jackson, Benjamin Jessup, Christina Horstmann, Caroline Rogers, Ernesto Weil, Alina Szmant, David Cuevas Miranda, Brian K. Walker, Christopher Jeffrey, David Ballantine, William S. Fisher, Randy Clark, Hector Ruiz Torres, Brandi Todd, Sandy Raimondo
Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles
The Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) is a conceptual model used to describe incremental changes in bio- logical condition along a gradient of increasing anthropogenic stress. As coral reefs collapse globally, scientists and managers are focused on how to sustain the crucial structure and functions, and the benefits that healthy coral reef ecosystems provide for many economies and societies. We developed a numeric (quantitative) BGC model for the coral reefs of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to transparently facilitate ecologically meaningful management decisions regarding these fragile resources. Here, reef conditions range from natural, undisturbed conditions to severely altered or …