Rapid assessment of stony coral richness and condition on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles.

The benthic habitats of Saba Bank (17 degrees 25'N, 63 degrees 30'W) are at risk from maritime traffic, especially oil tankers (e.g., anchoring). To mitigate this risk, information is needed on the biodiversity and location of habitats to develop a zone use plan. A rapid survey to document the biodiversity of macro-algae, sponges, corals and fishes was conducted. Here we report on the richness and condition of stony coral species at 18 select sites, and we test for the effects of bottom type, depth, and distance from platform edge. Species richness was visually assessed by roving scuba diver w... Mehr ...