36098 NCRMP: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance Hawaiian Archipelago Data Set Published / External 32954 Hawaiian Archipelago Project In Work 2016 The benthic complexity and urchin abundance monitoring effort provides baselines for tracking these variables at NCRMP climate stations. Climate stations are 3-4 sites per island that were selected in a stratified random fashion to be roughly equally spaced around the island, along the 15 m contour, on hard bottom, and at least 1 km away from a river mouth or embayment. Once selected we assess multiple features of the coral reef environment including in-situ temperature (STR), seawater carbonate, net carbonate accretion (CAU), bioerosion (BMU), and cryptobiota diversity (ARMS). Structural complexity is known to be an important component in coral reef ecosystems. Ecosystem relationships that correlate with structural complexity include reef fish density and biomass, live and branching coral cover, urchin abundance and algal cover (Graham and Nash 2013). In many cases, the benthic complexity is an important indicator of benthic and fish communities. The data were collected around the Hawaiian archipelago as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) led missions in 2013 and 2016. These data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive. 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 is intended to coordinate 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 will be 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. New record. AMD 2015-06-05 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. Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category biota Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category elevation Theme CRCP Project 743 Theme CRCP Project National Coral Reef Monitoring Program Theme CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus Numeric Data Sets > Benthic Theme CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat 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 > Rugosity Theme CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology 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 > Macroinvertebrates Theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS benthic Theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS survey Theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS survey - biological Theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS survey - swimmer/diver Theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS visual estimate Theme NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS HI'IALAKAI Theme NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS OSCAR ELTON SETTE 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 Temporal Triennial Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Kauai Island (22N159W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Molokai Island (21N157W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > French Frigate Shoals (24N166W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Kure Atoll (28N178W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Lisianski Island (25N173W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Oahu (21N157W0003) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Pearl and Hermes Reef (27N176W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Kauai > Niihau Island (21N160W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Maui > Lanai Island (20N156W0002) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Maui > Maui Island (20N156W0004) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaiian Islands (21N157W0027) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands (21N157W0027) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii Island > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Kauai Island > Kauai Island (22N159W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Lanai Island > Lanai Island (20N156W0002) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Maui Island > Maui Island (20N156W0004) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Molokai Island > Molokai Island (21N157W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Niihau Island > Niihau Island (21N160W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Oahu Island > Oahu (21N157W0003) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands > French Frigate Shoals (24N166W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands > Kure Atoll (28N178W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands > Lisianski Island (25N173W0001) Spatial CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands > Pearl and Hermes Reef (27N176W0001) Spatial NODC Sea Area Names Thesaurus North Pacific Ocean Spatial NODC Sea Area Names Thesaurus Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument Spatial MHI Spatial Main Hawaiian Islands Spatial NWHI Spatial Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 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, area); topographic complexity; and a measure of urchin abundance. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36102 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 36102 V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY Published / External Completed Foundational view for benthic complexity and urchin abundance at climate stations Loaded by batch 9613, 12-21-2016 21:29 Data View Yes GISDAT Foundational view for benthic complexity and urchin abundance at climate stations 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 Island or Atoll surveyed 5 SITE NVARCHAR2 150 Yes No Active The 5- to 6-character code for the site surveyed. Combines a 3-letter island code with a site number 6 LATITUDE NUMBER 22 No No 38 Active Site latitude 7 LONGITUDE NUMBER 22 No No Active Site longitude 8 REEF_ZONE NVARCHAR2 150 No No Active The reef zone for the given site (Forereef, Backreef or Lagoon) 9 DEPTH_BIN NVARCHAR2 60 No No Active Classification of depth (shallow, mid, deep) based on midpoint between minimum and maximum depths of replicates at this site 10 SITEVISITID NUMBER 22 Yes No 38 Active Unique identifier for SITE_VISIT record 11 DATE_ DATE 7 Yes No Active Date the survey was conducted 12 OBS_YEAR NUMBER 22 No No 38 Active Year the survey was conducted 13 TRANSECT VARCHAR2 28 No No Active Type of transect (box or line) 14 PARALLEL_ NUMBER 22 No No 38 0 Active Parallel bearing of transect 15 DOWNSLOPE NUMBER 22 No No 26 0 Active Downslope bearing of transect 16 SUBSTRATE_HEIGHT_0 NUMBER 22 No No 26 0 Active Substrate complexity between 0cm and 20cm elevation 17 SUBSTRATE_HEIGHT_20 NUMBER 22 No No 26 0 Active Substrate complexity between 20cm and 50cm elevation 18 SUBSTRATE_HEIGHT_50 NUMBER 22 No No 26 0 Active Substrate complexity between 50cm and 100cm elevation 19 SUBSTRATE_HEIGHT_100 NUMBER 22 No No 26 0 Active Substrate complexity between 100cm and 150cm elevation 20 SUBSTRATE_HEIGHT_150 NUMBER 22 No No 26 0 Active Substrate complexity over 150cm elevation 21 MIN_DEPTH NUMBER 22 No No 26 0 Active Minimum slope depth in meters 22 MAX_DEPTH NUMBER 22 No No 26 0 Active Maximum slope depth in meters 23 MAX_VERTICAL_RELIEF NUMBER 22 No No 26 0 Active Highest elevation point measured in centimeters 24 FREE_URCHIN_DACOR VARCHAR2 26 No No Active Free Urchin DACOR 25 BORING_URCHIN_DACOR VARCHAR2 26 No No Active Boring Urchin DACOR Data Steward 2013 Person Timmers, Molly A molly.timmers@noaa.gov 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA (808)725-5449 Distributor 2016 Person Beck, Brian brian.beck@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0929-8216 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring MD 20902 301-713-4844 Distributor 2013 2016 Person Kanemura, Troy T troy.kanemura@noaa.gov 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA (808)725-5422 Email preferred Metadata Contact 2025-11-12 Person Akridge, Michael W michael.akridge@noaa.gov 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA (808)725-5483 Metadata Contact 2013 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 2013 Organization Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center PIFSC pifsc.info@noaa.gov https://ror.org/02apffz65 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. Originator 2013 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 Point of Contact 2014 Person Oliver, Thomas thomas.oliver@noaa.gov https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0684-1287 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA (808)725-5444 Email preferred Ground Condition Hawaiian Archipelago including the main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. -178.37842 -166.1166924 28.4529 23.62792 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), including French Frigate, Kure, Lisianski, and Pearl & Hermes. -160.23392 -154.8176 22.16847 18.968567 Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI), including Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Oahu, Molokai, Niihau, and Lanai. Range 2013-07-12 2013-07-14 SE1305 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands mission (Kure) Range 2013-08-03 2013-08-23 HA1304 MHI RAMP 2013 Range 2013-09-05 2013-09-13 HA1305 NWHI RAMP 2013 Discrete 2013-09-18 HA1305 NWHI RAMP 2013 Range 2013-10-22 2013-10-30 SB1320 Shore-based surveys of Oahu Range 2016-07-14 2016-08-24 HA1606 MHI RAMP 2016 Range 2016-09-01 2016-09-25 HA1606 NWHI RAMP 2016 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: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2016). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations of the Hawaiian Archipelago since 2013. NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36098 None None https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157760 V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY HAWAII 2016.csv Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across the Hawaiian archipelago in 2016. csv (comma-separated values) CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0159150 V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY HAWAII 2013.csv Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across the Hawaiian archipelago in 2013. csv (comma-separated values) CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/ocean_and_climate_change.php Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Coral Reef Ecosystem Program official website, Ocean and Climate Change page. PIFSC Oracle database view: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY Observations at each site were made by divers who have been trained in the benthic complexity and urchin abundance estimate protocols. Between years there may be some variance in the location of the transect tape due to oceanographic conditions. Visual estimates of abundance are useful as a broad indication of the urchin assemblages present at each survey site, but there is scope for error in diver estimates of this type. The benthic complexity surface relief measurements are binned within 1 of 5 classification categories. NOAA PIFSC CREP’s use of the 5-category method is the same category delineation employed by CREP’s fish team for substrate height and was adapted from the University on North Carolina at Wilmington’s Protocol for Measuring Topographic Complexity. Complexity categories and the measurements are as follows: Category 1: < 0.2 m Category 2: 0.2 – 0.5 m Category 3: 0.5 – 1.0 m Category 4: 1.0 – 1.5 m Category 5: > 1.5 m DACOR (dominant, abundant, common, occasional, rare) abundance codes are used to quantify urchins in the NCRMP plot. The number of “free” urchins and boring urchins within the NCRMP plot is visually estimated. The same category delineation is employed by CREP’s fish team for urchin abundance estimates. DACOR categories are quantified as follows: D - Free Urchins: 101-999; Boring Urchins: 501-999 A - Free Urchins: 51-100; Boring Urchins: 251-500 C - Free Urchins: 21-50; Boring Urchins: 101-250 O - Free Urchins: 6-20; Boring Urchins: 26-100 R - Free Urchins: 0-5; Boring Urchins: 0-25 The data are complete as entered. Any null values recorded are due to an incomplete field survey and not by omission. The benthic complexity and urchin abundance data are collected at the 15m NCRMP stations. The same methods of data collection are used at each surveyed site. The data is entered in an MS Excel spreadsheet, then quality controlled against the physical data sheets prior to the data considered final. Upon completion of the cruise, the data is migrated to Oracle databases during which any errors are flagged based on pre-defined criteria. Yes Unknown Yes No Unknown NCEI-MD Unknown The data is captured in several locations: physical data sheets, MS Excel spreadsheets, and PIFSC Oracle database. The physical data sheets are housed at PIFSC. The MS Excel spreadsheets area regularly backed up by the cruise data manager while at sea. The PIFSC Oracle database is regularly backed up by PIFSC ITS. Benthic complexity and urchin abundance survey employed by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) since 2013. 1 Climate stations are 3-4 sites per island that were selected in a stratified random fashion to be roughly equally spaced around the island, along the 15 m contour, on hard bottom, and at least 1 km away from a river mouth or embayment. Once selected we assess multiple features of the coral reef environment including in-situ temperature (STR), seawater carbonate, net carbonate accretion (CAU), bioerosion (BMU), and cryptobiota diversity (ARMS). At the NCRMP station a 10m transect is run from the reference stake parallel to shore and in roughly a cardinal (N, S, E, or W) direction. At the 10m mark of the transect tape, a second 5m transect is deployed perpendicular and down-slope. This gives a total of a 15m transect and forms 2 of the boundary sides of the NCRMP plot. Bearings of each transect are recorded. Along the 15m transect tape, record two max vertical relief measurements per meter (based on an area of 0.5 m x 1 m to the left and 0.5 m x 1 m to the right of each meter on the transect). The frequency # should add up to 30 units for a 15m transect. Maximum depth, minimum depth, and maximum vertical relief are also recorded. These measurements are defined as: Maximum depth - deepest point in the NCRMP plot Minimum depth - shallowest point in the NCRMP plot Maximum vertical relief - height of tallest reef structure present within the NCRMP plot Urchin abundance is estimated by conducting a visual census of free and boring urchins within the NCRMP plot and is recorded using DACOR (dominant, abundant, common, occasional, rare) abundance codes. Person Reardon, Kerry G kerry.reardon@noaa.gov 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA 808-725-5465 808-725-5429 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM 36102 Entity 36099 Data Set Cross Reference 36100 Data Set Cross Reference 25251 Data Set Cross Reference gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:36098 Troy Kanemura 2016-12-21T15:11:46 SysAdmin InPortAdmin 2026-03-04T19:17:25 2017-01-23 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center PIFSC 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA 808-725-5300 https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 1001 Public No No 2017-01-23 1 Year 2018-01-23