1. DRM Methodology
This portion of the training will review the methodologies of navigating to and evaluating a site, in-water survey protocols, and datasheets.
Please review the FRRP DRM in-water protocol available on the DRM website under the ‘Surveyor Trainings and Resources’ page before you begin your surveys. (

2. DRM Methodology Overview
Random sites generated and assigned to teams
Navigate to site and assess for coral habitat
1 x 10m belt transects (2/site)
5-10 minute roving diver survey (1/site)
Enter data online
QAQC data!!

3. Navigating to a Site Primary Site (aka 1000’s) No
Reef or hardbottom present?
Navigating to a Site
Primary Site (aka 1000’s)
Yes
(Survey the site) No
(Search 50m radius area)
Yes No
(Be sure to mark site as ‘Unsuitable Coral Habitat’ in online data entry system)
(Survey the site)
Go to alternate site (2000’s)
(Repeat procedure) 1)
Go to strategic site 2)

4. Strategic Sites
If suitable survey habitat is not found within the 50m radius at either the primary or the secondary site, you may choose an area known to have hardbottom/reef and survey it as a strategic site. Surveyors should try to find appropriate habitat for the strategic site as close as possible to the original site location in an effort to stay in the same reef strata or zone. Once suitable survey habitat is identified at a site, record the GPS coordinates of the buoy used to mark the location. If your survey site is > 50m from an assigned site, you will enter it as a ‘Strategic Site’.
Or, if during the data entry process, you discover that your new coordinates are >50m from the original site location, the data entry system will prompt you to enter in your data as a “Strategic Site”. This process will be reviewed in a later training module.
2001
3001
1001
Google Earth

5. DRM Transect Survey
If coral habitat is present, complete (2) 1m x 10m belt transects at each site. Record demographic and condition data for any coral (>4cm) that falls within 1/2m on each side of the transect that has any portion of live tissue or recently dead areas.
End 10m
0.5m
Start 0m
Important slide
0.5m
Be sure to avoid and don’t cross the other transect at your site.

6. Site Data
Be sure to fill in ALL fields at the top of your datasheet before you leave a site.
Keep latitude/longitude in decimal degrees or convert later if you collect a new coordinate.
Identify if you are Transect 1 or 2 to help distinguish between them during data entry.
Write down if and who you shared your transect with.
Datasheet has changed!
Be sure to fill in all site data before you leave a site.

7. Transect Survey
Each transect can be surveyed by making several “passes” of the transect line as follows:
0-m m : Record DEPTH and circle HABITAT.
Then, lay out transect.
0-m m : Scan transect and area within visual range
for Diadema, Acropora sp. and Dendrogyra
0-m m : Record all corals >4cm (sp., dimensions,
conditions)
0-m m : Record rugosity measurements (cm)
while rolling up the transect line.

8. Habitat Isolated Reef “Patch Reef” Contiguous Reef Other Reef Rubble
Contiguous Reef Spur and Groove

9. Presence/ Absence Dendrogyra cylindrus Diadema antillarum
Acropora cervicornis
Acropora palmata

10. FRRP Datasheet Example5 5
Each data field will be reviewed in detail in following training modules.
Note the definitions for all condition codes are at the base of the datasheet

11. Rugosity
One of the passes along your transect will be to collect 10 rugosity measurements within each square meter of your belt transect. (This can also be done while rolling up the transect line if desired.)
The entire transect is subdivided into ten 1m x 1m subplots. Within each 1m x 1m subplot, measure the highest relief feature (not including “soft complexity” features such as branching gorgonians, sponges, and fire corals) using your measuring device to the nearest cm. Note: Giant Barrel Sponges (Xestospongia muta) are considered a hard-relief feature.
The 10 rugosity measurements are recorded at the top of your belt transect datasheet.
10 meters
0-m
10-m
Xesto
Coral
Transect
Line
1 meter
Coral
Branching
gorgonian
Sponge
Yes – Corals; Hard substrate; Barrel Sponge No – Branching gorgonians; Sponges; Fire Coral

12. Roving Diver Survey
Once both transect surveys are complete, if there is sufficient time and divers have ample air to continue the dive, one diver should conduct a roving diver census swim within the surrounding area of the transects. Two roving diver surveys can be completed at a site but only one is required. The roving diver survey should last no longer than 10 minutes and not extend farther than 50 meters from where the transects were surveyed.
2 BELT TRANSECTS
ROVING
DIVER
Record the total number of minutes you surveyed the site area.
If multiple divers are surveying, care should be taken to not overlap survey areas

13. Roving Diver Survey
Tally only those target coral species on the datasheet that are > 10 cm at their greatest extent under one of the three categories 1) Healthy Looking Colonies, 2) Actively Diseased Colonies or 3) 100% Recently Dead Colonies.
Target coral species: Colpophylia natans, Meandrina meandrites, Montastrea cavernosa, Orbicella faveolata, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Dichocoenia stokesi, and Diploria labyrinthiformis.
Only count corals in the ‘Actively Diseased Colonies’ column if there is tissue loss associated with the disease. Dark or Discolored tissue does not get tallied as diseased.