Data Management Plan

In 2010 the village of Fagamalo, Tutuila, American Samoa, designated a no-take Marine Protected Area that sees the protection of 2.25 square kilometers of ocean. Because little is known regarding the status of living marine communities in the area, and at the request of the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, NOAA scientists conducted surveys to assess the status of the benthic communities and establish a baseline against which to compare temporal change.

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) according to protocols established by the NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). In 2015 data were collected at 18 stratified randomly selected sites. These data include:

1) an assessment of coral colony density and size-class distribution for the selected monitoring sites;

2) an assessment of coral recruitment at the monitoring sites; and

3) an evaluation of coral colony condition, including mortality, disease, and bleaching.

These data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive. Additionally, photoquadrat benthic images were also collected (documented and archived separately).

Extent of underwater surveys at Fagamalo, Tutuila, American Samoa in 2015.

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) following the same protocol to that established by the NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP).

Process Steps:

• The survey domain encompassed ~95% of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitat, and was divided into strata based upon depth. Depth categories of shallow (0–6 m), mid-depth (> 6–18m) and deep (>18–30 m) were incorporated into the stratification scheme, and allocation of sampling effort was proportional to strata area. Sites were randomly selected within each stratum. Survey protocols followed methodologies historically implemented by CREP and the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) At each site, two haphazardly laid, 18-m transects were the focal point of the surveys. Adult coral colonies were surveyed within four (1.0 × 2.5 m) segments: 0–2.5 m (segment 1); 5.0–7.5m (segment 3); 10–12.5 m (segment 5); and 15 – 17.5 m (segment 7), whereby all adult colonies (> 5 cm diameter) whose center fell within 0.5 meters on either side of each transect line were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible (species or genus), measured for size (maximum diameter to nearest centimeter), and morphology was noted. In addition, partial mortality and condition of each colony were assessed. Partial mortality was estimated as percent of the colony in terms of old dead and recent dead and the cause of recent mortality was identified if possible. The condition of each colony including disease (not attributed to recent tissue loss) and bleaching was noted along with the extent (percent of colony affected) and level of severity (range from moderate to acute). Juvenile coral colonies (< 5 cm diameter) were surveyed within three (1.0 x 1.0 meter) segments along the same transects: 0-1.0 meter (segment 1); 5.0-6.0 meters (segment 3); and 10.0-11.0 meters (segment 5). Juvenile colonies were distinguished in the field by a distinct tissue and skeletal boundary (not a fragment of a larger colony). Each juvenile colony was identified to the lowest taxonomic level (genus or species) and measured for size by recording both the maximum and perpendicular diameter to the nearest 2 millimeter. Still photographs were collected to record the benthic community composition at predetermined points along the same 2 transect lines with a high-resolution digital camera mounted on a pole. Photographs were taken every 1 m from the 1 m to the 15 m mark. 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. (Citation: Summary Report of Baseline Surveys for Benthic and Fish Communities in the Fagamalo No-Take Marine Protected Area, 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.