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Summary

Diver counting coral reef fishes at Pearl and Hermes Reef using the SPC method.

Short Citation
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2024: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) of Reef Fish, including Benthic Estimate Data of American Samoa since 2015, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/34520.
Full Citation Examples

DOI: doi:10.7289/V5TB1564

Abstract

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.

The reef fish and benthic estimate data provided in this data set were collected during SPC surveys as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led NCRMP missions around American Samoa in 2015, 2018, and 2023. Additionally, data collected as part of a PIFSC-funded Reef Fish Survey cruise in American Samoa in 2016 are included as these data are funded separately from but are complementary to the NCRMP-funded data. During the 2016 cruise, some sites were surveyed using both open-circuit SCUBA (OC) and closed-circuit rebreather (CCR), as part of an ongoing assessment of sources of bias in survey count relating to divers' presence. The CCR data is archived separately.

Distribution Information

  • CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

    Observations from stationary point count surveys of coral reef fishes by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted at various islands in American Samoa (HA1501) in 2015.

  • CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

    Observations from stationary point count surveys of coral reef fishes conducted on open circuit by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) at various islands in American Samoa (SE1602) in 2016.

  • PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

    Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Data Report: Ecological monitoring 2012-2013---reef fishes and benthic habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands, American Samoa, and Pacific Remote Island Areas. PIFSC Data Report DR-14-003, https://doi.org/10.7289/v55h7d81

  • PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

    Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program. Fish monitoring brief: American Samoa 2015. PIFSC Data Report DR-15-008, http://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5319SWZ

  • PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

    Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Data Report: Ecological monitoring 2015---reef fishes and benthic habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Remote Island Areas, and American Samoa. PIFSC Data Report 16-002. doi:10.7289/V5G73BQJ

  • PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

    Summary Report of Baseline Surveys and Installations Conducted in 2015 in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. PIFSC Data Report DR-16-007, http://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5N014J6

  • PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

    Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Data Report. Ecological monitoring 2016-----reef fishes and benthic habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Remote Island Areas, and American Samoa. PIFSC Data Report DR-17-001. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/dr-pifsc-17-001

  • PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

    Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program. Fish monitoring brief: Swains, Tutuila, Ofu and Olosega, Ta’u Islands, and Rose Atoll, 2018. PIFSC Data Report, DR-18-009, https://doi.org/10.25923/npqt-xh37

  • PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

    Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program. Fish monitoring brief: Howland, Baker, and Swains Islands, 2018. PIFSC Data Report DR-18-010. https://doi.org/10.25923/f5sp-pv56

  • PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

    Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Data Report. Ecological monitoring 2018—reef fishes and benthic habitats of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and American Samoa. PIFSC Data Report DR-19-008. https://doi.org/10.25923/0rg6-y073

  • PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

    NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program standard operating procedures: collection for Rapid Ecological Assessment fish surveys. PIFSC Administrative Report H-15-07, https://doi.org/10.7289/v5sn06zt

  • CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

    Observations from stationary point count surveys of coral reef fishes by the NOAA PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division conducted at various islands in American Samoa during mission HA1801 in 2018.

  • ERDDAP Data Service

    NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) ERDDAP web service for reef fish data from stratified random surveys conducted by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) during ESD-led NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program missions to Amercian Samoa since 2015.

    ERDDAP acts as a middleman between you and various remote data servers. ERDDAP offers an easy-to-use, consistent way to request data: via the OPeNDAP standard. Many datasets can also be accessed via ERDDAP's Web Map Service (WMS). ERDDAP returns data in the common file format of your choice. ERDDAP offers all data as .html table, ESRI .asc and .csv, Google Earth .kml, OPeNDAP binary, .mat, .nc, ODV .txt, .csv, .tsv, .json, and .xhtml. ERDDAP can also return a .png or .pdf image with a customized graph or map. ERDDAP also has web pages (for humans with browsers) and RESTful web services (for computer programs).

  • CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text), 9705 KB

    Observations from stationary point count surveys of coral reef fishes by the NOAA PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division conducted at various islands in American Samoa during mission RA2301 in 2023.

  • Darwin Core Archive

    Data have been translated by a third party to Darwin Core format and served via the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) Data Access portal:

    OBIS Dataset Title: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division, National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish in the U.S. Pacific Islands.

    Years: 2007-2019

    DOI: 10.15468/tk1hwm

    OBIS Dataset ID: 2ae2a2bd-8412-405b-8a9f-b71adc41d4c5

    OBIS provides a portal or gateway to many datasets containing information on where and when marine species have been recorded. The datasets are integrated so you can search them all seamlessly by species name, higher taxonomic level, geographic area, depth, and time; and then map and find environmental data related to the locations. There are several ways to access OBIS data: (1) Mapper, (2) API, and (3) R package. The mapper allows you to visualize and inspect subsets of OBIS data. A variety of filters (taxonomic, geographic, time, data quality) is available and multiple layers can be combined in a single view. Layers can be downloaded as CSV files. Developers can access data through the OBIS API or the R package.

Access Constraints:

None

Use Constraints:

Please cite PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) when using the data.

Suggested citation:

Ecosystem Sciences Division; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2024). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) of Reef Fish, including Benthic Estimate Data of American Samoa since 2015. NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/34520.

Controlled Theme Keywords

biota

Child Items

No Child Items for this record.

Contact Information

Point of Contact
Tye Kindinger
tye.kindinger@noaa.gov

Metadata Contact
Annette M DesRochers
annette.desrochers@noaa.gov
(808)725-5461

Extents

Geographic Area 1

-171.09257371° W, -168.1373351° E, -11.04525081° N, -14.560622° S

American Samoa, including Tutuila, Manu'a (Ofo, Olosega, and Ta'u), Rose Atoll, and Swains.

Time Frame 1
2016-04-15 - 2016-05-05

SE1602 REEF FISH SURVEYS

Time Frame 2
2015-02-15 - 2015-03-30

HA1501

Time Frame 3
2023-04-26 - 2023-08-09

Reef fish surveys conducted around Ofu & Olosega, Rose, Tau, and Tutuila. Swains was not surveyed in 2023 due to loss of operational days

Time Frame 4
2018-06-19 - 2018-07-18

Reef fish surveys conducted during ASRAMP 2018 at Tutuila, Rose, Swains, Tau, and Ofu/Olosega

Item Identification

Title: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) of Reef Fish, including Benthic Estimate Data of American Samoa since 2015
Short Name: NCRMP: Fish Surveys (nSPC) American Samoa
Status: On Going
Revision Date: 2024-03
Publication Date: 2024
Abstract:

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.

The reef fish and benthic estimate data provided in this data set were collected during SPC surveys as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led NCRMP missions around American Samoa in 2015, 2018, and 2023. Additionally, data collected as part of a PIFSC-funded Reef Fish Survey cruise in American Samoa in 2016 are included as these data are funded separately from but are complementary to the NCRMP-funded data. During the 2016 cruise, some sites were surveyed using both open-circuit SCUBA (OC) and closed-circuit rebreather (CCR), as part of an ongoing assessment of sources of bias in survey count relating to divers' presence. The CCR data is archived separately.

Notes:

Added OBIS data portal in April 2020. Metadata will be updated as new datasets are collected on an approximately triennial basis.

Other Citation Details:

Ayotte P, McCoy K, Heenan A, Williams I, Zamzow J. 2015. Coral Reef Ecosystem Program standard operating procedures: data collection for Rapid Ecological Assessment fish surveys. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Administrative Report H-15-07, 33 p.

Supplemental Information:

In some circumstances, additional survey efforts using identical survey methods and design are conducted to supplement or otherwise complement NCRMP surveys. As methods, design and even sometimes personnel are consistent across those surveys and NCRMP; and where the supplementary surveys are expressly intended to be merged with NCRMP data, we include those surveys here. Data from Reef Fish Surveys collected to improve assessments of reef fish populations in American Samoa are included.

The 2016 cruise included a comparison of counts on OC and CCR, in order to assess one source of disturbance on fish life (and ultimately counts) from with divers' presence - i.e. the bubbles produced by divers using standard SCUBA apparatus. Therefore, a subset of sites contain counts using both OC and CCR, conducted one after the other with order varying.

The NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) details a long term approach to provide an ecosystem perspective via monitoring climate, fish, benthic, and socioeconomic variables in a consistent and integrated manner. The NCRMP coordinates various NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) biological, physical, and human dimensions activities into a cohesive NOAA-wide effort. Through the implementation of the NCRMP, NOAA is able to clearly and concisely communicate results of national-scale monitoring to national, state, and territorial policy makers, resource managers, and the public on a periodic basis.

NCRMP is a framework for conducting sustained observations of biological, climate, and socioeconomic indicators at 10 priority coral reefs across the U.S. and its territories. This integrated approach consolidates monitoring of coral reefs under a uniform method in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico for the first time. NCRMP is funded by the CRCP and supported by NOAA Fisheries, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), and many other partners. The PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division at NOAA Fisheries is leading biological monitoring in the U.S. Pacific Islands Region.

The biological component of NCRMP in the Pacific provides a triennial ecological characterization at a broad spatial scale of general reef condition for reef fishes, corals and benthic habitat (i.e., fish species composition/density/size, benthic cover, and coral density/size/condition). Innovative analysis techniques are then used to develop products that give fellow scientists, managers, decision makers and the public a better understanding of a region's resources and how they are changing over time.

DOI (Digital Object Identifier): doi:10.7289/V5TB1564
DOI Registration Authority: NOAA

Keywords

Theme Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
ISO 19115 Topic Category
biota
UNCONTROLLED
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus Numeric Data Sets > Fish Census
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species Richness
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census > Stationary
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Rugosity
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish Assemblages
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Macroinvertebrates
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates
CRCP Project 743
CRCP Project National Coral Reef Monitoring Program
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS FISH - CORAL REEF
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS FISH BIOMASS
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS FISH SPECIES
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS SPECIES IDENTIFICATION
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - ORGANISM LENGTH
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS survey
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS survey - biological
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS survey - swimmer/diver
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS visual estimate
NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS HI'IALAKAI
NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS Oscar Elton Sette
NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS Coral Reef Conservation Program
NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS CORAL REEF STUDIES
NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS National Coral Reef Monitoring Program
NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division
None Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
None Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
None CRED
None CREP
None Ecosystem Sciences Division
None ESD
None Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
None PIFSC
None RAMP
None Rapid Ecological Assessment
None REA
None Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program
None Reef Fish
None SPC
None Stationary Point Count

Spatial Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
UNCONTROLLED
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Rose Island (Rose Atoll) (14S168W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Swains Atoll (11S171W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Ta'u Island (14S169W0012)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Swains Atoll (11S171W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ta'u Island (14S169W0012)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Rose Island > Rose Island (Rose Atoll) (14S168W0001)
NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Rose Atoll Marine National Monument
NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS South Pacific Ocean

Physical Location

Organization: Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
City: Honolulu
State/Province: HI
Country: USA

Data Set Information

Data Set Scope Code: Data Set
Data Set Type: CSV Files
Maintenance Frequency: As Needed
Maintenance Note:

Dataset record updated as new data for the region are added to the collection.

Updated 12/2018 to add 2018 surveys.

Data Presentation Form: Table (digital)
Entity Attribute Overview:

Raw survey data includes metadata for each survey (where, when, who, area); site characteristics (depth, reef type, habitat, benthic cover); individual reef fish observations identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible (usually species) including size, count, and observation type; and parameters needed to calculate biomass and density.

Entity Attribute Detail URL: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/35993
Distribution Liability:

While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.

Data Set Credit: PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division and funded by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program and the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

Support Roles

Data Set Credit

CC ID: 346467
Date Effective From: 2015
Date Effective To:
Contact (Organization): NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)
Address: 1305 East West Highway 10th Floor
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3281
Phone: (301) 713-3155
URL: https://coralreef.noaa.gov

Data Steward

CC ID: 890813
Date Effective From: 2020-01
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): Gray, Andrew E
Email Address: andrew.e.gray@noaa.gov

Distributor

CC ID: 904329
Date Effective From: 2020-01-08
Date Effective To:
Contact (Organization): Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)
URL: https://obis.org

Distributor

CC ID: 346462
Date Effective From: 2016
Date Effective To:
Contact (Organization): National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD)
Address: NOAA/NESDIS E/OC SSMC3, 4th Floor, 1351 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282
Phone: (301) 713-3277

Metadata Contact

CC ID: 346463
Date Effective From: 2015
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): DesRochers, Annette M
Address: 1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96818
USA
Email Address: annette.desrochers@noaa.gov
Phone: (808)725-5461
Business Hours: 8 am - 5 pm

Originator

CC ID: 346466
Date Effective From: 2015
Date Effective To:
Contact (Organization): Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC)
Address: 1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96818
USA
Email Address: pifsc.info@noaa.gov
Phone: 808-725-5360
URL: https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
Business Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Point of Contact

CC ID: 890815
Date Effective From: 2020-02
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): Kindinger, Tye
Email Address: tye.kindinger@noaa.gov
View Historical Support Roles

Extents

Currentness Reference: Ground Condition

Extent Group 1

Extent Description:

American Samoa

Extent Group 1 / Geographic Area 1

CC ID: 346473
W° Bound: -171.09257371
E° Bound: -168.1373351
N° Bound: -11.04525081
S° Bound: -14.560622
Description

American Samoa, including Tutuila, Manu'a (Ofo, Olosega, and Ta'u), Rose Atoll, and Swains.

Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 1

CC ID: 357001
Time Frame Type: Range
Start: 2016-04-15
End: 2016-05-05
Description:

SE1602 REEF FISH SURVEYS

Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 2

CC ID: 363417
Time Frame Type: Range
Start: 2015-02-15
End: 2015-03-30
Description:

HA1501

Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 3

CC ID: 1326729
Time Frame Type: Range
Start: 2023-04-26
End: 2023-08-09
Alternate Start As Of Info: RA2301
Description:

Reef fish surveys conducted around Ofu & Olosega, Rose, Tau, and Tutuila. Swains was not surveyed in 2023 due to loss of operational days

Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 4

CC ID: 806210
Time Frame Type: Range
Start: 2018-06-19
End: 2018-07-18
Alternate Start As Of Info: HA1801
Description:

Reef fish surveys conducted during ASRAMP 2018 at Tutuila, Rose, Swains, Tau, and Ofu/Olosega

Access Information

Security Class: Unclassified
Security Classification System:

Not applicable

Security Handling Description:

Not applicable

Data Access Policy:

NOAA Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) Data Sharing Recommendations, version 9.0 updated August 12, 2015:

ESD welcomes the opportunity to collaborate on research issues contributing to the scientific basis for better management of marine ecosystems. ESD has a very diverse set of field activities that generates large volumes of data using an array of data collection protocols.

The following recommendations are for your consideration as you use this data:

1) Data analyses should take all field exigencies into account. The most effective way to do this would be active collaboration with ESD principal investigators.

2) In all presentations, product releases, or publications using data generated by CREP, proper acknowledgement of both ESD and the individuals responsible for data collection is expected. Citing the DOI (if available) is preferred, a non-DOI example is listed below.

3) If you collect or generate data for the same study areas, ESD requests that you share relevant information on complimentary data collections.

4) Those receiving data are strongly urged to inform the ESD Data Management Team of any errors and discrepancies that are discovered during the course of using these data. They are further urged to bring to the attention of the Team all problems and difficulties encountered in using these data. This information is necessary in order to improve the collections and to facilitate more efficient and economical data processing and retrieval. The users are asked to supply copies of any missing data that may be located, and to provide information as to significant subsets and special aggregations of data that are developed in using the material provided.

Example citation:

"This publication makes use of data products provided by the Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with funding support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). The analysis and interpretations presented here are solely that of the current authors.”

Data Access Procedure:

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

Data Access Constraints:

None

Data Use Constraints:

Please cite PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) when using the data.

Suggested citation:

Ecosystem Sciences Division; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2024). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) of Reef Fish, including Benthic Estimate Data of American Samoa since 2015. NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/34520.

Metadata Access Constraints:

None

Metadata Use Constraints:

None

Distribution Information

Distribution 1

CC ID: 346495
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157588
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: V0_FISH_REA SAMOA 2015.csv
Description:

Observations from stationary point count surveys of coral reef fishes by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted at various islands in American Samoa (HA1501) in 2015.

File Date/Time: 2016-12-14 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): csv (comma-separated values)
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

Distribution 2

CC ID: 357002
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157597
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: V0_FISH_REA SAMOA 2016.csv
Description:

Observations from stationary point count surveys of coral reef fishes conducted on open circuit by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) at various islands in American Samoa (SE1602) in 2016.

File Date/Time: 2016-12-14 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): csv (comma-separated values)
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

Distribution 3

CC ID: 806708
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: PIFSC_DR-14-003_2012-2013_DataReport_Fish.pdf
Description:

Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Data Report: Ecological monitoring 2012-2013---reef fishes and benthic habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands, American Samoa, and Pacific Remote Island Areas. PIFSC Data Report DR-14-003, https://doi.org/10.7289/v55h7d81

File Date/Time: 2014-04-01 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

Distribution 4

CC ID: 806714
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: PIFSC_DR-15-008_2015_FishBrief_Am.Samoa.pdf
Description:

Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program. Fish monitoring brief: American Samoa 2015. PIFSC Data Report DR-15-008, http://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5319SWZ

File Date/Time: 2015-04-02 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

Distribution 5

CC ID: 347048
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: PIFSC_DR-16-002_2015_DataReport_Fish.pdf
Description:

Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Data Report: Ecological monitoring 2015---reef fishes and benthic habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Remote Island Areas, and American Samoa. PIFSC Data Report 16-002. doi:10.7289/V5G73BQJ

File Date/Time: 2016-03-04 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

Distribution 6

CC ID: 806709
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: PIFSC_DR-16-007_2015_SummaryReport_NMSAS.pdf
Description:

Summary Report of Baseline Surveys and Installations Conducted in 2015 in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. PIFSC Data Report DR-16-007, http://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5N014J6

File Date/Time: 2016-04-26 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

Distribution 7

CC ID: 806710
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: PIFSC_DR-17-001_2016_DataReport_Fish.pdf
Description:

Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Data Report. Ecological monitoring 2016-----reef fishes and benthic habitats of the main Hawaiian Islands, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Pacific Remote Island Areas, and American Samoa. PIFSC Data Report DR-17-001. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/dr-pifsc-17-001

File Date/Time: 2017-01-13 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

Distribution 8

CC ID: 806718
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: PIFSC_DR-18-009_2018_FishBrief_Am.Samoa.pdf
Description:

Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program. Fish monitoring brief: Swains, Tutuila, Ofu and Olosega, Ta’u Islands, and Rose Atoll, 2018. PIFSC Data Report, DR-18-009, https://doi.org/10.25923/npqt-xh37

File Date/Time: 2018-07-27 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

Distribution 9

CC ID: 806781
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: PIFSC_DR-18-010_2018_FishBrief_BAK_HOW_SWA.pdf
Description:

Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program. Fish monitoring brief: Howland, Baker, and Swains Islands, 2018. PIFSC Data Report DR-18-010. https://doi.org/10.25923/f5sp-pv56

File Date/Time: 2018-07-27 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

Distribution 10

CC ID: 825643
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: PIFSC_DR-19-008_2018_DataReport_Fish.pdf
Description:

Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Data Report. Ecological monitoring 2018—reef fishes and benthic habitats of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and American Samoa. PIFSC Data Report DR-19-008. https://doi.org/10.25923/0rg6-y073

File Date/Time: 2018-12-18 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

Distribution 11

CC ID: 346496
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: PIFSC_H-15-07_2015_SOP_Fish.pdf
Description:

NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program standard operating procedures: collection for Rapid Ecological Assessment fish surveys. PIFSC Administrative Report H-15-07, https://doi.org/10.7289/v5sn06zt

File Date/Time: 2015-12-15 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

Distribution 12

CC ID: 806211
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0183543
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: V0_FISH_REA SAMOA 2018.csv
Description:

Observations from stationary point count surveys of coral reef fishes by the NOAA PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division conducted at various islands in American Samoa during mission HA1801 in 2018.

File Date/Time: 2018-12-10 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): csv (comma-separated values)
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

Distribution 13

CC ID: 886725
Download URL: https://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/CRCP_Reef_Fish_Surveys_American_Samoa.html
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
Description:

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) ERDDAP web service for reef fish data from stratified random surveys conducted by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) during ESD-led NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program missions to Amercian Samoa since 2015.

ERDDAP acts as a middleman between you and various remote data servers. ERDDAP offers an easy-to-use, consistent way to request data: via the OPeNDAP standard. Many datasets can also be accessed via ERDDAP's Web Map Service (WMS). ERDDAP returns data in the common file format of your choice. ERDDAP offers all data as .html table, ESRI .asc and .csv, Google Earth .kml, OPeNDAP binary, .mat, .nc, ODV .txt, .csv, .tsv, .json, and .xhtml. ERDDAP can also return a .png or .pdf image with a customized graph or map. ERDDAP also has web pages (for humans with browsers) and RESTful web services (for computer programs).

File Type (Deprecated): ERDDAP Data Server
Distribution Format: ERDDAP Data Service

Distribution 14

CC ID: 1326730
Start Date: 2024-01
End Date: Present
Download URL: http://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0290375
Distributor: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland (NCEI-MD) (2016 - Present)
File Name: NCRMP_FISH_REA_SAMOA_2023
Description:

Observations from stationary point count surveys of coral reef fishes by the NOAA PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division conducted at various islands in American Samoa during mission RA2301 in 2023.

File Date/Time: 2023-01-23 00:00:00
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
File Size: 9705 KB

Distribution 15

CC ID: 904330
Start Date: 2020-01-08
End Date: Present
Download URL: https://mapper.obis.org/?datasetid=2ae2a2bd-8412-405b-8a9f-b71adc41d4c5
Distributor: Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) (2020-01-08 - Present)
File Name: ncrmp_nspc_fish_pacific
Description:

Data have been translated by a third party to Darwin Core format and served via the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) Data Access portal:

OBIS Dataset Title: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division, National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish in the U.S. Pacific Islands.

Years: 2007-2019

DOI: 10.15468/tk1hwm

OBIS Dataset ID: 2ae2a2bd-8412-405b-8a9f-b71adc41d4c5

OBIS provides a portal or gateway to many datasets containing information on where and when marine species have been recorded. The datasets are integrated so you can search them all seamlessly by species name, higher taxonomic level, geographic area, depth, and time; and then map and find environmental data related to the locations. There are several ways to access OBIS data: (1) Mapper, (2) API, and (3) R package. The mapper allows you to visualize and inspect subsets of OBIS data. A variety of filters (taxonomic, geographic, time, data quality) is available and multiple layers can be combined in a single view. Layers can be downloaded as CSV files. Developers can access data through the OBIS API or the R package.

File Date/Time: 2019-10-15 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): Darwin Core Archive
Distribution Format: Darwin Core Archive

URLs

URL 1

CC ID: 346486
URL: https://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/
Name: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program
URL Type:
Online Resource
Description:

NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) website.

URL 2

CC ID: 346487
URL: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ecosystems/coral-reefs-pacific
Name: Coral Reefs in the Pacific
URL Type:
Online Resource
Description:

NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands website.

URL 3

CC ID: 346488
URL: https://origin-apps-pifsc.fisheries.noaa.gov/cred/img/diver_counting_fish_using_spc_sm.jpg
Name: Diver counting coral reef fishes at Pearl and Hermes Reef using the SPC method.
URL Type:
Browse Graphic
Diver counting coral reef fishes at Pearl and Hermes Reef using the SPC method.
File Resource Format: JPG

URL 4

CC ID: 346489
URL: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ecosystems/coral-reefs-pacific#survey-methods
Name: Survey Methods
URL Type:
Online Resource
Description:

NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands website

URL 5

CC ID: 363219
URL: https://origin-apps-pifsc.fisheries.noaa.gov/cred/survey_methods/fish_surveys/rapid_ecological_assessment_of_fish-survey_method_training.php
Name: Fish survey methods training page
URL Type:
Online Resource
File Resource Format: PHP

Technical Environment

Description:

PIFSC Oracle database view: V0_FISH_REA

Data Quality

Accuracy:

Observations at each site were made by divers who have been trained, and met minimum standards in identifying species present at the survey locations and in estimating size of fishes in survey counts. However, all species identifications are made visually, sometimes in situations where a fish is only briefly seen. Visual estimates of benthic cover are useful as broad indication of the reef benthic assemblages present at each survey site, but there is considerable scope for error in rapid diver estimates of this kind.

Completeness Report:

Only shallow water (0 to 30 meter depth range) hard-bottom habitats are surveyed. The survey sites were randomly selected using a systematic process based on available habitat and bathymetric data. Although efforts are made to include broad spatial coverage of surveys at each island, weather conditions and other environmental constraints may have prevented the team from surveying exposed reef areas.

Conceptual Consistency:

The same methods of data collection are used at each surveyed site, and periodic examination of the data is conducted throughout each mission to check for diver bias or other discrepancies.

Quality Control Procedures Employed:

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 Management

Have Resources for Management of these Data Been Identified?: Yes
Approximate Percentage of Budget for these Data Devoted to Data Management: Unknown
Do these Data Comply with the Data Access Directive?: Yes
Is Access to the Data Limited Based on an Approved Waiver?: No
Approximate Delay Between Data Collection and Dissemination: Unknown
Actual or Planned Long-Term Data Archive Location: NCEI-MD
Approximate Delay Between Data Collection and Archiving: Unknown
How Will the Data Be Protected from Accidental or Malicious Modification or Deletion Prior to Receipt by the Archive?:

NOAA IRC and NOAA Fisheries ITS resources and assets.

Lineage

Lineage Statement:

Stationary Point Count survey of coral reef fish methodology, employed by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) since 2007.

Sources

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.

CC ID: 346493
Contact Role Type: Originator
Contact Type: Organization
Contact Name: Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC
Publish Date: 2015-12-21
Citation URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5SN06ZT
Citation URL Name: NOAA Institutional Repository
Citation URL Description:

Coral reef ecosystem program standard operating procedures : data collection for rapid ecological assessment fish surveys

Source Contribution:

Survey protocol

Process Steps

Process Step 1

CC ID: 346494
Description:

For the current NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) 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.

Process Contact: Ayotte, Paula M
Phone (Voice): (808)725-5403
Email Address: paula.ayotte@noaa.gov
Source: 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.

Acquisition Information

Instruments

Instrument Unavailable Reason: Not Applicable

Catalog Details

Catalog Item ID: 34520
GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:34520
Metadata Record Created By: Troy T Kanemura
Metadata Record Created: 2016-08-29 19:39+0000
Metadata Record Last Modified By: Lori H Luers
Metadata Record Last Modified: 2024-04-02 18:11+0000
Metadata Record Published: 2024-04-02
Owner Org: PIFSC
Metadata Publication Status: Published Externally
Do Not Publish?: N
Metadata Last Review Date: 2024-02-29
Metadata Review Frequency: 1 Year
Metadata Next Review Date: 2025-02-28