We are proud to share news of a new scientific publication using REEF data that was recently published in the top-tier science journal, Ecology. The paper, "Demographic modeling of citizen science data informs habitat preferences and population dynamics of recovering fishes", was co-authored by fisheries scientists from NOAA Fisheries and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, along with REEF's Director of Science, Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens. The authors combine citizen science data collected at large scales from REEF's Volunteer Fish Survey Project with recently developed statistical demographic modeling techniques. The model analysis included two managed reef fishes in the Gulf of Mexico, Goliath Grouper and Mutton Snapper, to estimate population trends, habitat associations, and interannual variability in recruitment. The results identify strong preferences for artificial structure for the recovering Goliath Grouper, while revealing little evidence of either habitat associations or trends in abundance for Mutton Snapper. Results also highlight the utility and management benefits of combining demographic population models and citizen science data. Visit REEF's Publications page to read more about this study, access the original paper, and information on the over 50 other scientific publications that have included REEF programs and data.
