Data Management Plan

The stationary point count (SPC) method is used to conduct reef fish surveys in the Hawaiian and Mariana Archipelagos, American Samoa, and the Pacific Remote Island Areas as part of the NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). The SPC method catalogs the diversity (species richness), abundance (numeric density) and biomass (fish mass per unit area) of diurnally active reef fish assemblages in shallow-water (less than 30 m) hard-bottom habitats. Visual estimates of benthic cover and topographic complexity are also recorded, with benthic organisms grouped into broad functional categories (e.g., 'Hard Coral', 'Macroalgae'). A stratified random sampling (StRS) design is employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems throughout the U.S.-Pacific regions. For all regions, the survey domain encompasses the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats and the stratification includes island, reef zone, and depth, with the exception of the Main Hawaiian Islands that includes habitat structure type as well. Sampling effort is allocated based on strata area.

Data provided in this data set were collected as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) led NCRMP missions around the Marianas Islands since 2014. Additionally, data collected as part of a shore-based survey effort around Guam in 2014 are included as these data are funded separately from but are complementary to the NCRMP-funded data.

Reef fish and benthic estimate data collected during SPC surveys can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

Mariana Archipelago, including Guam, Rota, Tinian, Aguijan, Saipan, Sarigan, Guguan, Alamagan, Pagan, Asuncion, Maug, and Farallon de Pajaros.

Lineage Statement:
Stationary Point Count survey of coral reef fish methodology, employed by the NOAA Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD, formerly Coral Reef Ecosystem Sciences Division) since 2007.

Process Steps:

• For the current NOAA Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) stationary point count (SPC) method, pairs of divers record the number, size, and species of all fishes observed within visually estimated cylinders 15 meters (m) in diameter. At the start of a survey dive, a pair of divers first lay down a 30-m transect line along a predetermined depth contour, and then the two divers move to the 7.5- and 22.5-m marks on that line; these marks serve as the centers of two adjacent SPC cylinders. During the first 5 minutes of a survey, the divers create a list of the fish species observed in or passing through their cylinder. After the first 5 minutes, divers systematically proceed down their species lists, counting and estimating the size (total length, or TL) of each fish present to the nearest centimeter. Species seen after the 5 minutes or outside of the survey area are recorded as present. On completing the fish count, divers make rapid visual estimates of benthic cover and structural complexity of the substrate within their survey cylinder. Benthic cover is estimated for broad functional groups (e.g., hard coral, sand, macroalgae). Structural complexity is determined by estimating the amount of the cylinder within 5 substrate-height bins (< 20 cm, 20-50 cm; 50-100 cm; 100-150 cm, and >150 cm). Upon completion of the fish survey, photographs of the benthos are captured at 1-m intervals along the 30-m transect line (30 photographs per site) using a 1-m PVC stick to position the camera directly above the substrate. (Citation: Ayotte, P., K. McCoy, A. Heenan, I. Williams, and J. Zamzow. 2015. Coral Reef Ecosystem Division standard operating procedures: data collection for Rapid Ecological Assessment fish surveys. Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA, Honolulu, HI 96818-5007. Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent. Admin. Rep. H-15-07, 33 p.)

Observations, including species identification and sizing, are periodically checked during expeditions for consistency between divers. Data entry is usually conducted on the same day as the surveys using a data entry interface with several data controls employed, and are quality controlled by the divers using a two-person system. Following a mission, the data is then run through rigorous quality control checks by the data management team before the data are migrated to the Oracle database. Given the size of the data set, there remains some possibility of typographical or other errors.

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.