Please excuse the future tense I wrote this late June 2024 and never posted it.
In July, my wife and I are going to Costa Rica, the Pacific side. We are going diving, birding, and horseback riding. I know that REEF has run three trips to the same area where we will be staying. We will be using the same dive shop REEF used on its trips (Rocket Frog Divers). Of course I will be doing fish surveys. However, I have never done surveys in the Tropical Eastern Pacific.
It would be ideal to recognize fish species immediately upon observation. So how do I prepare? I use the REEF website and navigate to “Explore Database-Create Reports” and select “Batch Reports”. Found at this link Batch Reports | Reef Environmental Education Foundation. REEF trips to the area of Costa Rica I am interested in took place in July 2018, July/Aug 2021, and June 2023. This means little to no seasonal variability with regards to species that can be seen from when we visit.
(Pacific Fanged Blenny to left)
The Batch Reports reveal what species were recorded, in what numbers, at what dive sites, by how many observers, and novice or expert status of the observers. It also lists the individual REEF members. It only reports the observations as a whole group (Batch), individual efforts are not revealed.
A statistic not reported on the Batch Report is number of species per survey by experts and novices. However, this statistic is reported on Geographic Area Reports. Given that the Tropical Eastern Pacific is surveyed infrequently, running a Geographic Area Report for the dates of the Batch Reports should provide species/survey statistics, without other random surveyors affecting the sampling. There were 2 experts on each trip, and the species/survey average for experts was 49. There were at least 9 novices on each trip, species/survey average for novices 31. This gives me an idea of how many species I should expect to observe on each survey. (Giant Hawkfish above to the right)
The table below has information from Batch Reports and Geographic Area Reports combined.
From the bottom line of the table above at least 41 species and as many as 48 species are observed 25% of the time. As many as 17 species are reported 75% of the time. These include, Barberfish, Balloonfish, King Angelfish, Panamic Sergeant Major, Flag Cabrilla, Guineafowl Puffer, Orangeside Triggerfish, Acapulco Damselfish, Threebanded Butterflyfish, Panama Graysby, Reef Cornetfish, Scissortail Chromis, Cortez Rainbow, Chameleon Wrasse, Mexican Hogfish, Spotted Sharpnose Puffer, and Beaubrummel. Thusly I will concentrate my time studying images of the species occurring at least 25% to 75% of the time.
Expert sightings vs. Novice sightings. To reach the status of expert by REEF parameters, an individual must complete 35 surveys in each region and pass a level 4/5 test with 90%. A complete breakdown of levels can be found here https://www.reef.org/experiencelevels.
(Yellowtail Surgeonfish to the left)
Individual efforts of a given member can only be seen by the member, and REEF staff. The above chart reflects inability to see individual effort by experts and novices. For example, on the 2023 trip experts observed 108 species. We can’t see how many species individual experts observed. All novices together observed 131 species. We cannot see how many species each novice observed. It is unlikely that one single expert observed 108 species, and more unlikely that one novice observed 131 species. It should also be noted that on any given trip there were 2 expert surveyors and anywhere from 9-11 novice surveyors.
In July, my wife and I are going to Costa Rica, the Pacific side. We are going diving, birding, and horseback riding. I know that REEF has run three trips to the same area where we will be staying. We will be using the same dive shop REEF used on its trips (Rocket Frog Divers). Of course I will be doing fish surveys. However, I have never done surveys in the Tropical Eastern Pacific.
(Pacific Fanged Blenny to left)
The Batch Reports reveal what species were recorded, in what numbers, at what dive sites, by how many observers, and novice or expert status of the observers. It also lists the individual REEF members. It only reports the observations as a whole group (Batch), individual efforts are not revealed.
A statistic not reported on the Batch Report is number of species per survey by experts and novices. However, this statistic is reported on Geographic Area Reports. Given that the Tropical Eastern Pacific is surveyed infrequently, running a Geographic Area Report for the dates of the Batch Reports should provide species/survey statistics, without other random surveyors affecting the sampling. There were 2 experts on each trip, and the species/survey average for experts was 49. There were at least 9 novices on each trip, species/survey average for novices 31. This gives me an idea of how many species I should expect to observe on each survey. (Giant Hawkfish above to the right)
The table below has information from Batch Reports and Geographic Area Reports combined.
2018 | 2021 | 2023 | |
| Observers | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Total Surveys | 54 | 79 | 89 |
| Total Species | 123 | 122 | 147 |
| Max Species Experts | 95 | 99 | 108 |
| Max Species Novices | 112 | 113 | 131 |
| Total Sites Surveyed | 7 | 12 | 16 |
| Total Hours of Surveys | 47.6 | 76.6 | 82.7 |
| # Species Reported 75% | 9 | 13 | 17 |
| # Species Reported 50% | 29 | 26 | 30 |
| # Species Reported 25% | 41 | 46 | 48 |
From the bottom line of the table above at least 41 species and as many as 48 species are observed 25% of the time. As many as 17 species are reported 75% of the time. These include, Barberfish, Balloonfish, King Angelfish, Panamic Sergeant Major, Flag Cabrilla, Guineafowl Puffer, Orangeside Triggerfish, Acapulco Damselfish, Threebanded Butterflyfish, Panama Graysby, Reef Cornetfish, Scissortail Chromis, Cortez Rainbow, Chameleon Wrasse, Mexican Hogfish, Spotted Sharpnose Puffer, and Beaubrummel. Thusly I will concentrate my time studying images of the species occurring at least 25% to 75% of the time.
Expert sightings vs. Novice sightings. To reach the status of expert by REEF parameters, an individual must complete 35 surveys in each region and pass a level 4/5 test with 90%. A complete breakdown of levels can be found here https://www.reef.org/experiencelevels.
(Yellowtail Surgeonfish to the left)
Individual efforts of a given member can only be seen by the member, and REEF staff. The above chart reflects inability to see individual effort by experts and novices. For example, on the 2023 trip experts observed 108 species. We can’t see how many species individual experts observed. All novices together observed 131 species. We cannot see how many species each novice observed. It is unlikely that one single expert observed 108 species, and more unlikely that one novice observed 131 species. It should also be noted that on any given trip there were 2 expert surveyors and anywhere from 9-11 novice surveyors.
