Data Management Plan

The data described here result from benthic coral demographic surveys within belt transects of specified length and width for two life stages (juveniles and adults) in Faga’alu, American Samoa in 2013, 2015, and 2020. The data provide information on adult coral colony counts, morphology, size, partial mortality (old and recent dead), presence and causation of disease and other compromised health conditions, including bleaching. Juvenile colony surveys include morphology and size. Taxonomic identification of adult colonies is to the species level and genus level for juveniles.

In 2013 and 2015, the survey implemented a two-stage stratified random sampling (StRS) design to assess the Faga’alu coral reef community, and a one-stage StRS design in 2020. The survey domain encompassed the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats in the 0–30 m depth range. The stratification scheme included cardinal position (i.e., north and south), reef zone (i.e., backreef and forereef) and depth (i.e., shallow: >0–6 m and mid-depth: >6–18 m). Sampling effort allocation was determined based on strata area and sites randomly located within strata. The StRS design effectively reduces estimate variance through stratification using environmental covariates and by sampling more sites rather than more transects per site. Therefore, site-to-site comparisons should proceed with caution.

Location of Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys in Faga'alu in 2013, 2015, and 2020

Lineage Statement:
The data described here were collected via belt transect surveys of coral demography (adult and juvenile corals) by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP): 2013: belt transect surveys of corals (version c) with individual colony counts. 2015-2020: belt transect surveys of adult corals (version e) with individual colony counts and health condition cause codes, and belt transect surveys of juvenile corals (version f) with individual colony counts

Process Steps:

• Biological surveys implemented a modified stratified random sampling design to assess the survey domain which encompassed the hard-bottom reef habitat from 0 to 18 m in depth within Faga‘alu Bay. Based on the geomorphology of the reef, the stratification scheme combined two reef zone categories (backreef and forereef) and cardinal positions (north and south) into four distinct strata: i.e., backreef north, backreef south, forereef north, and forereef south. A digital map of the survey domain was overlaid with a 30 m × 30 m (900 m2 in area) GIS layer, and grid cells containing hard-bottom reef habitat were designated as the sampling units, hereafter referred to as survey sites. Sampling effort allocation was relative to strata area and sites randomly assigned within each stratum. Belt-transects were the focal point of the biological surveys. Coral community composition was assessed within a number of 1.0 m × 2.5 m segments located at the 0–2.5 m, 5.0–7.5 m, 10–12.5 m, 15–17.5 m, and 20–22.5 m mark along each transect; bottom-time permitting, covering a total area ranging 5–12.5 m2 per transect. Over time, protocols were adjusted to increase efficiency such that two, 25-m transects were implemented in 2012/2013, two 18-m transects in 2015, and one 18-m transect in 2020. Within segments, all adult coral colonies (≥5 cm maximum diameter) whose center fell within 0.5 m on either side of the transect line were identified to the genus-level and measured for size (maximum diameter to nearest cm). Juvenile coral colonies (<5 cm), distinguished by the presence of a distinct tissue and skeletal boundary (not a fragment of a larger colony), were surveyed within three 1.0 m × 1.0 m segments at the 0–1.0 m, 5.0–6.0 m, and 10.0–11.0 m mark of each transect (covering 3 m2 per transect). Juvenile colonies were identified to genus and measured for size (maximum diameter to nearest 5 mm). In addition, still photographs were collected were taken every 1 m to record the benthic community composition at predetermined points along the same transect(s) lines with a high-resolution digital camera mounted on a pole. This work generates 30 photographs per site, which are later analyzed by CREP staff and partners using the computer program CoralNet. This analysis is the basis for estimating benthic cover and composition at each site. These data are documented separately. Survey protocols followed the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program methodologies historically implemented by NOAA's Ecosystem Sciences Division. (Citation: Status and Trends Assessment for Land-based Sources of Pollution Impacts on Benthic Reef Communities in Faga‘alu Bay, American Samoa)

The quality control occurred at two major stages - 1) data entry and 2) data management. Data entry quality control included both review and manual error correction steps. Data management quality control included several standard error queries followed by correction prior to ingestion into Oracle database.

Data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

NOAA IRC and NOAA Fisheries ITS resources and assets.