Category Code,Category,Category Description,Example,Group

Anem,Anemones,Members of the Class Anthozoa, Order Actiniaria: they may be thought of as giant polyps. They often look like a mass of tentacles projecting from crevices and flowing to and fro with the currents.,,Soft Corals

Boul,Bare Boulder,Large blocks of dislodged dead coral heads or terrigenous material, between 0.3-1 m in diameter, that are aggregated and distinct from rubble deposits (<0.3 m).,,Abiotic

Bran,Branching Corals,Erect, roughly cylindrical colony that has produced lateral extensions or branches.,,Hard Corals

Calg,Calcareous Algae,Covers a wide range of species that are usually hard to the touch or pinch. The most common genus is usually Halimeda.,,Algae

Cmor,Corallimorpharians,False Corals: Order Coralliomorpharia. May be solitary or colonial. Oral disk covered with button-like or wart-like tentacles or clumps of short hairlike tentacles. One of several mouths may project upward on short conical papillae from oral disk.,,Soft Corals

Dcor,Dead Corals,Recently dead coral.,,Abiotic

Ealg,Encrusting calcareous algae,Occur as a hard, smooth pavement on the substratum, covering small or large areas. Usually the colour varies from dark pink to purple, and sometimes may show a grayish hue.,,Algae

Enco,Encrusting Corals,Coral colonies grow laterally and remain relatively planar in form and conform to the substratum (Agaricia, Mycetophyllia). Many juveniles or small corals will fall into this category.,,Hard Corals

Engr,Encrusting Gorgonians,Because of their distinctive growth forms, the 2 encrusting gorgonians Briareum and Erythropodium are classified separately.,,Soft Corals

Ensp,Encrusting Sponges,All sponges able to produce a layer over the substrate. Many of these sponges are borers.,,Sponges and Others

Ersp,Erect Sponges,Those whose colony is projected above the surface or hangs from it; common examples are tube and vase sponges.,,Sponges and Others

Falg,Fleshy Algae,Includes macroalgae that are not hard to the touch and whose fronds are projected more than 1 cm above the substratum.,,Algae

Foli,Foliaceous Corals,Coral colonies that are plate-like or leaf-like and extend off the substratum, projecting into the water (Agaricia, sometimes Montastrea).,,Hard Corals

Gaps,Holes, Gaps, Overhangs,Refer to spaces and voids where it is impractical to measure any attributes. Overhang refer to the inner space below a projected surface, and also to inner spaces in Acropora colonies.,,Abiotic

Gorg,Gorgonians,Soft corals which are magnificently colored and typically are identified by the holdfast and branches.,,Soft Corals

Mass,Massive Corals,A coral colony that has developed a third dimension such that it extends the colony out from the substratum in a mound or domal shape but is unbranched. This would apply to small species such as Favia fragum or much larger genera such as Diploria, Montastrea, Dendrogyra, Siderastrea.,,Hard Corals

Mill,Milleporines,All growth forms of Millepora should be included in this category.,,Hard Corals

Othr,Other Organisms,All other organisms present on the reef which are not grouped in a specific category.,,Sponges and Others

Rock,Bare Rock,Refers to exposed calcareous substratum or hardgrounds.,,Abiotic

Rubb,Bare Rubble,Refers to sedimentary material composed of particles or pieces whose average diameter is 4.0 mm to 30 cm.,,Abiotic

Sand,Bare Sediment,Refers to sand (including coarse sand) and mud. Particles have a mean diameter of less than 4.0 mm.,,Abiotic

Talg,Turf Algae,May look fleshy and/or filamentous but do not rise more than 1 cm above the substrate.,,Algae

Zoan,Zoanthids,Order Zoanthidia - Colonial Anemone. Usually form mats of interconnecting polyps. Oral disks crowded together, each fringed with a ring of tiny tentacles.,,Soft Corals