The Benthic Ecological Assessment for Marginal Reefs (BEAMR) method

Abstract

The Benthic Ecological Assessment for Marginal Reefs (BEAMR) method is a universal assessment procedure which helps to quantify the "health" condition of a coral reef habitat over time. Coral reefs, due to their complexity as an ecosystem, have presented problems in the past to marine researchers trying to assess the performance of the habitat through statistical evaluation. Previous methodologies such as the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment method and the Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity Program, while being useful, were created specifically for reefs within the Caribbean Sea and are biased toward one or two main indicator organisms (e.g., stony corals). However, given that most reefs worldwide are considered marginal habitats, which describes them as having an impoverished community condition with biogeographic limits, the BEAMR method offers a more comprehensive analysis of all benthic functional groups defining the reef. Assessments and analysis using the BEAMR method provide marine researchers with accurate in situ documentation of all aspects within benthic coral communities, allowing conservation managers to more effectively protect these marine habitats. Coral reef resources are under a constant threat from both human and natural forces, making habitat assessment protocols, such as the BEAMR method, an important tool in the worldwide conservation of coral reef communities.