Geolocation, abundance, and morphology data from Carrie Bow Caye in the Belizean Barrier Reef from 2006-07-30 to 2006-08-24 (NCEI Accession 0291456)

Acquisition Description:
We surveyed a 100 m wide by 300 m long transect of reef around Carrie Bow Cay by SCUBA to map the distribution of the Aplysina fistularis and Elacatinus lori populations. GPS data were collected with a Garmin GPSMAP 76Cx unit in an underwater housing made by Sound Ocean Systems. Waypoints are accurate within 5 m. At each sponge, we recorded: depth at base of sponge (in meters, using dive computers), number of tubes per sponge, length (nearest cm, using a tape measure) and width (nearest cm, using a tape measure) of each sponge tube. We also counted the number of fish per sponge, and categorized fish into one of two life history stages: resident ≥ 18 mm standard length (SL) or settler < 18 mm SL. Divers were trained to visually identify settlers versus residents after measuring a subset of individuals with calipers. We expect accuracy to be high, as this categorization was correlated with a life history transition: settlers tend to live on the outside of sponges, and residents live on the inside of sponges. Further details on methods can be found in D’Aloia et al. (2011), Coral Reefs.