  We study persistence in coupled circle map lattices at the onset of
spatiotemporal intermittency, an onset which marks a continuous transition, in
the universality class of directed percolation, to a unique absorbing state. We
obtain a local persistence exponent of theta_l = 1.49 +- 0.02 at this
transition, a value which closely matches values for theta_l obtained in
stochastic models of directed percolation. This result constitutes suggestive
evidence for the universality of persistence exponents at the directed
percolation transition. Given that many experimental systems are modelled
accurately by coupled map lattices, experimental measurements of this
persistence exponent may be feasible.
