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Coral reefs at 13 sites ranging 111 depth f~o m 1-16 111 near Ilopc.to\.lin. Abaw Islands. Bahamas were s u r~e > e d utili~ing the Atlantic and Guli'Rapid Reef Assessment (AGKRA) benthos protocol. A total of 35 species of'scleractinian corals and 2 species of' calcareous hydrocorals were obsen ed. The o\ era11 coral cover averaged just over 14% Among corals that were at least 10 cm in diameter. small colonies (<40 cm diameter) predominated in all sites except for the Fowl Cay pinnacles where 68% were larger than 60 cm in diameter. Large colonies (>40 cm diameter) were also found in the Lynyard Cay spur-and-groove formations and the Sandy Cay fore reef. Zero-4% of the colonies were affected by disease. Total (recent + old) partial-colony mortality ranged from 9-3 1% (both extreme values being found in outer reef crests). Turf algae were the most common algal functional group overall. Macroalgae were ubiquitous, however, M ith relative abundance values of about 25-47%. Macroalgal indices (a proxy for biomass) rangcd from 64 in the Sandy Cay back reef to 184 in the Fowl Cay outer reef crest.The AGRRA protocol is being applied throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean to document the condition of reefs with a technique that allows interregional comparisons. This study targeted the reefs of the central Abaco Islands because of their location near the northeasternmost extension of the Bahamas platform. Reefs at the extremes of their geographic range occur near important physiological thresholds for stony corals and may respond earlier to global climate change or anthropogenic impacts than more centrally located reefs. With the exception of Bermuda, Abaco's reefs are nearest the northern limit of shallow reef formation in the wider Caribbean. Additionally, the reefs of central Abaco are near an area of relatively high population density and user pressure from local and tourist fishers and divers.'~a t i o n a l Coral Reef Institute,