NCRMP Sample Frame Development Protocols for U.S. Caribbean and FGBNMS

The following workflow outlines the protocols developed from 2013-2018 to design and generate a gridded, stratified sample frame for particular study regions monitored by NOAA’s NOS/NCCOS/Biogeography Branch and its partners as part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) directed by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). A stratified random sample selection (using weighted strata allocations) is applied to a region's sample frame to select sites for each survey mission. These regions are surveyed biennially, and each sample frame is updated or re-created prior to each survey mission to incorporate new strata data or reflect protocol changes as they have evolved and improved over the years.

The workflow is up to date as of 2018 and specifically addresses the methodology of sample frame generation. Broader protocols for sample design and allocation can be found separately.

Note about Flower Gardens: much of these steps apply only to USVI and Puerto Rico sample frames. The FGB frame is much smaller and generally static from year to year without strata updates. FGB habitat type is much simpler and the habitat allocation process described is not applied to FGB. Bathymetry is relatively high resolution with good coverage over diveable areas, and has not been updated in recent years. As a result, site selection from the sample frame is often the only step required for FGB