35769
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Towed-diver Surveys of Benthic Habitat, Key Benthic Species, and Marine Debris Sightings of the Marianas since 2014
NCRMP: Benthic Towed-diver Surveys Marianas
Data Set
Published / External
32957
Marianas Archipelago
Project
Completed
2016
The towed-diver method is used to conduct benthic surveys, assessing large-scale disturbances (e.g., bleaching) and quantifying benthic components such as habitat complexity/type and the general distribution and abundance patterns of live coral, crustose coralline algae (CCA), macroalgae, and macroinvertebrates. Surveys are conducted 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). A suitable method for assessing relatively large areas of reef habitat, the method involves towing a pair of SCUBA divers—one benthic and one fish—behind a small boat for approximately 50 min following the ~15-m depth contour and covering about 2–3 km of habitat. Each diver is equipped with a towboard and attempts to maintain a constant elevation above the surface of the reef (~1 m) for the duration of the survey. A complete towed-diver survey is divided into 10, 5-min segments, with visual observations recorded by 5-min segment.
The visual estimate data provided in this dataset were collected during towed-diver surveys which includes percentage cover of total live hard corals, stressed hard corals, soft corals, sand, coralline algae, and macroalgae, and the number of individual macroinvertebrates (crown of thorns starfish (COTS), sea urchins, and giant clams). Benthic habitat complexity and type data are also collected as part of the survey with the following habitat type categories: continuous reef, spur and groove, patch reefs, rock boulders, pavement, rubble flat, sand flats, pinnacle, and wall.
The data were collected around the Marianas as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) led missions since 2014. These data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.
The National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) details an integrated ecosystem approach to provide a consistent flow of information to assess and report the status and trends of environmental conditions, living reef resources, and the people and processes that interact with coral reef ecosystems. Although the scope of NCRMP is broad, it is intended to assess the status of coral reef ecosystems and their conditions throughout U.S. States and Territories and provide a steady and comprehensive analytical context to gauge changes in conditions at the sub-jurisdictional scale of an island or atoll.
Through the implementation of the NCRMP, NOAA is able to clearly and concisely communicate results of national-scale monitoring to Federal, State, and Territorial policy makers, resource managers, scientists, and the public on a periodic basis.
Lino K, Asher J, Ferguson M, Gray A, McCoy K, Timmers M, Vargas-Ángel B (2018) Ecosystem Sciences Division standard operating procedures: data collection for towed-diver benthic and fish surveys. Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA, Honolulu, HI 96818-5007. Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent. Admin. Rep. H-18-02, 76 p.
The National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (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 will consolidate 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 Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) 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). Each year, CREP scientists work closely with CRCP and local partners to collect biological data on fish populations and coral reef communities from strategically selected sites during Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) missions. 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:10.7289/V5H13098
NOAA
Theme
ISO 19115 Topic Category
biota
Theme
CRCP Project
743
Theme
CRCP Project
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program
Theme
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
Numeric Data Sets > Biology
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Mortality
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Photic Zone Corals
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Habitats
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover Dead percentage
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover Live percentage
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Macroinvertebrates
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Census
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Census > Macroinvertebrates
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Census > Population Density
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates
Theme
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS
CORAL
Theme
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS
DEBRIS
Theme
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS
DEPTH - SENSOR
Theme
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS
HABITAT - BENTHIC
Theme
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS
MACROINVERTEBRATE CENSUS
Theme
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS
REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER
Theme
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS
TEMPERATURE
Theme
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS
survey
Theme
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS
survey - biological
Theme
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS
survey - coral reef
Theme
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS
survey - swimmer/diver
Theme
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS
tows
Theme
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS
visual estimate
Theme
NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS
HI'IALAKAI
Theme
NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS
CORAL REEF STUDIES
Theme
NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS
Coral Reef Conservation Program
Theme
NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program
Theme
NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS
US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division; Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
Theme
CRED
Theme
CREP
Theme
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
Theme
Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
Theme
PIFSC
Theme
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Theme
TDS
Theme
Towed-diver surveys
Theme
towboard
Theme
towed diver
Temporal
Triennial
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Aguijan > Aguijan Island (14N145E0006)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Alamagan Island > Alamagan Island (17N145E0002)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Asuncion Island > Asuncion Island (19N145E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Farallon de Pajaros > Farallon de Pajaros (12N144E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Guguan > Guguan Island (17N145E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Maug > Maug Island (20N145E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Northern Mariana Islands > Northern Mariana Islands ( CNMI ) (18N146E0000)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Pagan > Pagan Island (18N145E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Rota > Rota Island ( Luta ) (14N145E0007)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Saipan > Saipan Island (15N145E0002)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Sarigan Island > Sarigan Island (16N145E0003)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Tinian > Tinian Island (14N145E0005)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Aguijan Island Reefs > Aguijan Island (14N145E0006)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Alamagan Island > Alamagan Island (17N145E0002)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Asuncion Island > Asuncion Island (19N145E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Farallon de Pajaros > Farallon de Pajaros (12N144E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Guguan Island > Guguan Island (17N145E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Mariana Archipelago > Northern Mariana Islands ( CNMI ) (18N146E0000)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Maug Island > Maug Island (20N145E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Pagan Island > Pagan Island (18N145E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Rota Island > Rota Island ( Luta ) (14N145E0007)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Saipan Island > Saipan Island (15N145E0002)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Sarigan Island > Sarigan Island (16N145E0003)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Tinian Island Reefs > Tinian Island (14N145E0005)
Spatial
NODC SEA AREA NAMES
Marianas Trench Marine National Monument
Spatial
NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS
NW Pacific
Spatial
CNMI
Spatial
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Spatial
Mariana Islands
Spatial
Marianas
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Honolulu
HI
USA
Data Set
CSV Files
As Needed
Table (digital)
Raw survey data includes metadata for each survey (where, when, who, length, duration, depth, reef type, temperature); and benthic observations.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/35771
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.
PIFSC Coral Reef Ecosystem Program and funded by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
35771
View: VS_BENT_TDS
VS_BENT_TDS
Published / External
Completed
CREP Benthic Towed-Diver Survey spatial view
Loaded by batch 9510, 11-21-2016 14:37
Data View
Yes
GISDAT
Benthic towed-diver survey spatial view
1
ROUNDID
NUMBER
22
Yes
No
28
0
Active
Unique Identifier for ROUND record
2
MISSIONID
VARCHAR2
30
Yes
No
Active
Mission Identifier
3
REGION_NAME
VARCHAR2
30
No
No
Active
One of the five Pacific Island regions CRED surveys
4
ISLAND
NVARCHAR2
150
No
No
Active
Foreign key reference to the LIST_OF_ISLANDS table for the given ISLANDVISIT record
5
LATITUDE
NUMBER
22
No
No
28
8
Active
Latitude in decimal degrees, WGS84, for the given island
6
LONGITUDE
NUMBER
22
No
No
28
8
Active
Longitude in decimal degrees, WGS84 for the given island
7
OBS_YEAR
NUMBER
22
Yes
No
38
0
Active
Year the survey was conducted
8
DIVEID
NUMBER
22
No
No
Active
Unique ID representing year, month, day, tow # of day
9
SEGMENTID
NUMBER
22
No
No
Active
Unique ID representing year, month, day, tow # of day, segment #
10
DATE_
DATE
7
Yes
No
Active
Date of the Tow survey
11
REEF_ZONE
NVARCHAR2
150
Yes
No
Active
The reef zone for the given towed diver segment (Forereef, Backreef, Lagoon, unspecified). Forereef: The sloping bottom underlying the wave break zone, extending seaward from the reef crest. Comprehensive surveys of forereef habitats remain the priority for towed-diver operations. Backreef: The shallow strip of reef sheltered from breaking waves by the reef crest, situated between the reef crest and the lagoon floor. Lagoon: The zone sheltered from the waves by the reef crest, and separated from the reef crest by the back reef. Usually deeper than the back reef and covered in unconsolidated sediment, this term describes both an atoll's interior and the expanse situated between the back reef and shore of any islands present. Unspecified: these are other areas surveyed using towed-diver methods, which include: Bank: A submerged platform reef, often occurring either as an isolated feature atop a seamount or as a plateau situated between the fore reef and a deeper slope. These areas are no longer actively targeted, with Pathfinder Reef (MARAMP 2007, CNMI) and Tutuila (ASRAMP 2010; exploratory) represents the last banks actively surveyed. Channel: A submerged transition between forereef and backreef zones created by a gap in the reef crest. Divers should avoid using channels to transition from forereef to backreef habitats (i.e. stick with one or the other). In addition, divers should make a note in the ¿Comments¿ section whenever crossing a channel along a forereef/backreef survey.
12
METHODCODE
NVARCHAR2
30
No
No
Active
Survey method used
13
NO_OBS
NUMBER
22
No
No
38
0
Active
No data recorded for a towed-diver survey due to diver recall, hazardous conditions, depth, etc.
14
DIVER1
NVARCHAR2
150
Yes
No
Active
Initials of fish diver
15
DIVER2
NVARCHAR2
150
No
No
Active
Initials of benthic diver
16
TOWKEY
NUMBER
22
Yes
No
38
0
Active
Towkey for the given towed diver survey fish observation
17
SEGMENT
NUMBER
22
No
No
5
0
Active
Segments represent 5-minute increments; there are 10 segments per tow.
18
DEPTH
NUMBER
22
No
No
Active
Mean Depth (in meters) of the towed-diver segment
19
DEPTH_SD
NUMBER
22
No
No
Active
Standard deviation of depth of the towed-diver segment
20
TEMPERATURE
NUMBER
22
No
No
38
Active
Temperature of the Towed Diver Survey
21
TEMPERATURE_SD
NUMBER
22
No
No
38
Active
Standard deviation of temperature of the Towed Diver Survey
22
STARTLOCALTIME
DATE
7
No
No
Active
Local start time of the Towed Diver Survey
23
ENDLOCALTIME
DATE
7
No
No
Active
Local end time of the Towed Diver Survey
24
CENTROIDLAT
NUMBER
22
No
No
38
8
Active
Latitude in decimal degrees, WGS84, for the center point of each 5-minute towed-diver survey segment
25
CENTROIDLON
NUMBER
22
No
No
38
8
Active
Longitude in decimal degrees, WGS84, for the center point of each 5-minute towed-diver survey segment
26
PROJECTEDLENGTH
NUMBER
22
No
No
38
8
Active
Length of tow segment (meters). Calculated from tow tracks using GIS
27
DOMINANT_HABITAT
NVARCHAR2
15
No
No
Active
Dominant Habitat
28
DOMINANT_HABITAT_DESC
NVARCHAR2
150
No
No
Active
Dominant Habitat description
29
COMPLEXITY
NVARCHAR2
9
No
No
Active
Complexity
30
LIVE_CORAL_MID
NUMBER
22
No
No
28
8
Active
Live coral mid-point
31
SOFT_CORAL_MID
NUMBER
22
No
No
28
8
Active
Soft coral mid-point
32
SAND_MID
NUMBER
22
No
No
28
8
Active
Sand mid-point
33
STRESSED_CORAL_MID
NUMBER
22
No
No
28
8
Active
Stressed coral mid-point
34
MACROALGAE_MID
NUMBER
22
No
No
28
8
Active
Macro algae mid-point
35
CORALLINE_MID
NUMBER
22
No
No
28
8
Active
Coralline algae mid-point
36
CROWN_OF_THORN
NUMBER
22
No
No
5
0
Active
Acanthaster planci. Macroinvertebrates are counted independently up to 25 individuals. Above that, numbers of each macroinvertebrate taxa are binned as follows: Category 1: 26 - 50 (1 with a circle around it; same for subsequent categories). Category 2: 51 - 100. Category 3: 101 - 250. Category 4: 251 - 500. Category 5: 501 - 1000. Category 6: > 1000
37
BORING_URCHIN
NUMBER
22
No
No
5
0
Active
"Boring" sea urchins (e.g. Echinostrephus, Echinometra). Macroinvertebrates are counted independently up to 25 individuals. Above that, numbers of each macroinvertebrate taxa are binned as follows: Category 1: 26 - 50 (1 with a circle around it; same for subsequent categories). Category 2: 51 - 100. Category 3: 101 - 250. Category 4: 251 - 500. Category 5: 501 - 1000. Category 6: > 1000
38
FREE_URCHIN
NUMBER
22
No
No
5
0
Active
"Free" sea urchins (e.g. Tripneustes, Diadema). Macroinvertebrates are counted independently up to 25 individuals. Above that, numbers of each macroinvertebrate taxa are binned as follows: Category 1: 26 - 50 (1 with a circle around it; same for subsequent categories). Category 2: 51 - 100. Category 3: 101 - 250. Category 4: 251 - 500. Category 5: 501 - 1000. Category 6: > 1000
39
GIANT_CLAM
NUMBER
22
No
No
5
0
Active
Giant clams (Tridacna sp.). Macroinvertebrates are counted independently up to 25 individuals. Above that, numbers of each macroinvertebrate taxa are binned as follows: Category 1: 26 - 50 (1 with a circle around it; same for subsequent categories). Category 2: 51 - 100. Category 3: 101 - 250. Category 4: 251 - 500. Category 5: 501 - 1000. Category 6: > 1000
40
NET_LINE
NUMBER
22
No
No
5
0
Active
Derelict fishing gear of any type (e.g. monofilament line, fishing nets or fragments of fishing nets, etc.)
41
MUNITION
NUMBER
22
No
No
5
0
Active
Munitions/unexploded ordinance
42
WRECK
NUMBER
22
No
No
5
0
Active
Shipwrecks
43
MANMADE_OBJECT
NUMBER
22
No
No
5
0
Active
Man-made objects, whether of nautical or terrestrial origins (e.g. anchors/discarded mooring, tires, corrugated tin roofing). It is important to note that marine debris observations do not include highly mobile marine debris (e.g. bottles, cans, plastic bags, etc.)
44
MANMADE_NOTE
NVARCHAR2
255
No
No
Active
Manmade Note
Data Set Credit
2014
Organization
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
CRCP
1305 East West Highway 10th Floor
Silver Spring
MD
20910-3281
(301) 713-3155
https://coralreef.noaa.gov
Link to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program website
Online Resource
Data Steward
2014
Person
Ferguson, Marie H
marie.ferguson@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
(808)725-5414
email preferred
Distributor
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
NCEI-MD
NOAA/NESDIS E/OC SSMC3, 4th Floor, 1351 East-West Highway
Silver Spring
MD
20910-3282
(301) 713-3277
Distributor
2014
2016
Person
Kanemura, Troy T
troy.kanemura@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
(808)725-5422
Metadata Contact
2014
Person
DesRochers, Annette M
annette.desrochers@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
(808)725-5461
8 am - 5 pm
email preferred
Originator
2014
Organization
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
PIFSC
pifsc.info@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
808-725-5360
https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage
Online Resource
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Point of Contact
2014
Person
Vargas-Angel, Bernardo
bernardo.vargasangel@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
(808)725-5423
email preferred
Ground Condition
Mariana Archipelago
144.6258831
145.8533789
20.54979267
13.22982722
Mariana Archipelago including Guam, Rota, Tinian, Aguijan, Saipan, Sarigan, Guguan, Alamagan, Pagan, Asuncion, Maug, and Farallon de Pajaros.
Range
2014-03-25
2014-05-06
HA1401
MARAMP 2014, Legs I through III
Range
2017-05-04
2017-06-20
HA1701
Unclassified
Not applicable
Not applicable
NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) Data Sharing Recommendations, version 9.0 updated August 12, 2015:
CREP welcomes the opportunity to collaborate on research issues contributing to the scientific basis for better management of marine ecosystems. CREP 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 CREP principal investigators.
2) In all presentations, product releases, or publications using data generated by CREP, proper acknowledgement of both CREP 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, CREP requests that you share relevant information on complimentary data collections.
4) Those receiving data are strongly urged to inform the CREP 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 Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP), 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). The analysis and interpretations presented here are solely that of the current authors.”
Data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.
None
Please cite NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) when using the data.
Suggested citation:
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Towed-diver Surveys of Benthic Habitat, Key Benthic Species, and Marine Debris Sightings of the Marianas in 2014. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/35769.
None
None
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157550
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
VS_BENT_TDS MARIAN 2014.csv
Observations from towed-diver surveys of the benthic habitat by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted in the Marianas in 2014.
2016-12-14T00:00:00
csv (comma-separated values)
CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
PIFSC_H-18-02_2018_SOP_towed-diver.pdf
Ecosystem Sciences Division standard operating procedures: data collection for towed-diver benthic and fish surveys. PIFSC Administrative Report H-18-02. https://doi.org/10.25923/59sb-sy51
2018-06-01T00:00:00
PDF
PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0166629
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
VS_BENT_TDS MARIAN 2017.csv
Observations from towed-diver surveys of the benthic habitat by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted in the Marianas in 2017.
2017-09-11T00:00:00
csv (comma-separated values)
CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/img/towboard.jpg
Browse Graphic
JPG
A diver conducting a survey of the benthos and benthic habitat using the towed diver method.
http://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/
Online Resource
HTML
Information about the NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) on the NOAA Coral Reef Information System website.
http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/survey_methods.php
Online Resource
PHP
NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program website, survey methods page, which includes a brief description of the towed-diver survey method used since 2000 to survey the benthic habitat.
https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/benthic_monitoring.php
Online Resource
PHP
Coral Reef Ecosystem Program website, Benthic Monitoring
PIFSC Oracle database view: VS_BENT_TDS
The latitude and longitude coordinates of the survey track are recorded using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver on-board the tow boat. The survey track is georeferenced and a layback model is applied (python script in ESRI ArcGIS for Desktop) that more accurately maps the positions of the recorded observations.
The towed-diver surveys are completed in forereef, backreef, and lagoon habitats. Considering that the towed divers are covering ~200 m during each 5-min time frame of a 50-minute survey, benthic coverage calculations are broad estimates. These data can be used to see large differences but can not be processed to a fine scale.
Observations during each tow were made by trained divers. The visual variation throughout the tow may change drastically as well as current and surface conditions for the support vessel impacting the preferred depth contour and accompanying track lines.
The percentage cover for the different benthic elements are binned within 1 of 10 classification categories. NOAA PIFSC CREP’s use of the 10-category method is similar to AIMS, whereby percent cover of living hard coral, stressed coral, soft coral, macroalgae, crustose coralline algae, sand, and rubble are calculated from towed-diver results by representing each cover category through the midpoint of its range. Note that the total percentage cover will not add up to 100%, as several habitat categories (e.g., rock, pavement, etc) are not included.
Benthic cover categories and the corresponding percentage range bins are as follows:
Category 1: 0.1 -1 %
Category 2: 1.1 - 5 %
Category 3: 5.1 - 10 %
Category 4: 10.1 - 20 %
Category 5: 20.1 - 30 %
Category 6: 30.1 - 40 %
Category 7: 40.1 - 50 %
Category 8: 50.1 - 62.5 %
Category 9: 62.6 - 75 %
Category 10: 75.1 - 100 %
Macroinvertebrates are counted independently up to 25 individuals. Above that, numbers of each macroinvertebrate taxa are binned as follows:
Category 1: 26 – 50
Category 2: 51 – 100
Category 3: 101 – 250
Category 4: 251 – 500
Category 5: 501 – 1000
Category 6: > 1000
Data entry conversion for each macroinvertebrate category is as follows:
Category 1: 37
Category 2: 75
Category 3: 175
Category 4: 375
Category 5: 750
Category 6: 1001
The habitat complexity data is based on a six-point subjective assessment of topographical diversity and complexity of the benthic habitat. Classified according to 1 of 6 categories: low (L), medium-low (ML), medium (M), medium-high (MH), high (H), and very high (VH).
There are a few scenarios that will affect the completeness of the data:
-If the GPS points are not collected, associated diver's positions and survey tracks are not generated
-If the estimation of the divers' positions are erroneous and it is impossible to make corrections, the tow tracks/points are flagged and removed from further analyses
-If SEABIRD sensor (SB 39) is not operational during surveys, temperature and depth data are not available
The same methods of data collection are used during each tow. Regular examination and comparisons of the data are conducted throughout each mission to check for diver bias or other discrepancies.
The data is entered in an MS Access database, then quality controlled against the physical data sheets prior to the data being considered final. Several queries in the MS Access and Oracle databases flag any errors based on predefined criteria.
Yes
Unknown
Yes
No
Unknown
NCEI-MD
Unknown
The data is captured in several locations: physical data sheets, MS Access cruise database, and PIFSC Oracle database. The physical data sheets are housed at PIFSC. The MS Access cruise database is regularly backed up by the cruise data manager while at sea. The PIFSC Oracle database is regularly backed up by PIFSC ITS.
Benthic towed-diver survey method
Lino K, Asher J, Ferguson M, Gray A, McCoy K, Timmers M, Vargas-Ángel B (2018) Ecosystem Sciences Division standard operating procedures: data collection for towed-diver benthic and fish surveys. Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., NOAA, Honolulu, HI 96818-5007. Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent. Admin. Rep. H-18-02, 76 p.
Organization
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Originator
2018-06-01
https://doi.org/10.25923/59sb-sy51
NOAA Institutional Repository
Ecosystem Sciences Division standard operating procedures: data collection for towed-diver benthic and fish surveys.
Survey protocol
1
A pair of scuba divers is towed about 1 m above the reef roughly 60 m behind a small boat at a constant speed of about 1.5 knots. One diver quantifies fish populations, and the other diver quantifies the benthos. Each diver maneuvers their own towboard. Towboards are connected to the small boat by a bridle and towline and outfitted with various survey equipment, including a video camera on the fish towboard. The benthic diver records percentage cover of total live hard corals, stressed hard corals, soft corals, sand, coralline algae, and macroalgae, and the number of individual macroinvertebrates (crown of thorns starfish (COTS), sea urchins, and giant clams) as well as benthic habitat complexity and type data.
A towed survey is typically 50 min long and covers about 2 km of habitat. Each survey is divided into 5-min segments, with data recorded separately per segment to allow for georeferencing of observations within the ~200 m covered during each segment. Throughout a survey, the latitude and longitude of its survey track are recorded at 5-s intervals on the small boat with a global positioning system (GPS). Following a survey, diver tracks are generated using this GPS data and a layback algorithm to account for position of the diver relative to the small boat.
Person
Ferguson, Marie H
marie.ferguson@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
(808)725-5414
35771
Entity
View: VS_BENT_TDS
35768
Data Set
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Towed-diver Surveys of Benthic Habitat, Key Benthic Species, and Marine Debris Sightings of American Samoa in 2015
Cross Reference
35767
Data Set
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Towed-diver Surveys of Benthic Habitat, Key Benthic Species, and Marine Debris Sightings of the Hawaiian Archipelago in 2016
Cross Reference
5567
Data Set
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Towed-diver Surveys of Benthic Habitat, Key Benthic Species, and Marine Debris Sightings of the Pacific Remote Island Areas since 2014
Cross Reference
35762
Data Set
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Towed-diver Surveys of Large-bodied Fishes of the Marianas since 2014
Cross Reference
35618
Data Set
Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Towed-diver Surveys of Benthic Habitat, Key Benthic Species, including Marine Debris Sightings, of the U.S. Pacific Reefs from 2000 to 2012
Cross Reference
gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:35769
Kevin Trick
2016-11-21T19:44:12
SysAdmin InPortAdmin
2023-10-17T16:12:09
2017-09-18
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
PIFSC
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
808-725-5300
http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
1001
Public
No
2017-09-18
1 Year
2018-09-18