Long-Term Monitoring Program

The Guam Long Term Monitoring Program (GLTMP) is a NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program-funded project housed the University of Guam Marine Laboratory (UOGML).  Our mission is to provide information about the state of Guam’s reefs to scientists, reef managers, policy makers, and the public in order to help effectively manage Guam’s coral reef resources.

What we do
Since 2010, we have been conducting comprehensive surveys of the benthic, fish, and invertebrate populations at high priority reef areas around Guam. The regular monitoring of important reef areas allows us to detect changes in reef health over time and determine what might be causing the changes. Our surveys currently target the Tumon Bay, Piti Bomb Holes, and Achang Reef Flat marine preserves, as well as sites in East Agana Bay, Fouha Bay, and the east side of the Cocos barrier reef.

The project also includes the Reef Flat Monitoring Program (RFMP), an effort led by  Dr. Laurie Raymundo to document changes in Guam’s shallow reef flat communities. In addition, the program provides support for Guam Coral Reef Response Team efforts to address coral bleaching events, crown of thorns outbreaks, vessel groundings, and other acute disturbance events. Most notably, the GLTMP has played a key role in documenting the impacts of several recent coral bleaching events. Beyond these core activities, GLTMP staff also contribute to various other reef management activities on Guam.