Search Help Show/Hide Menu
Summary
Item Identification
Keywords
Physical Location
Data Set Info
Support Roles
Extents
Access Info
Distribution Info
URLs
Tech Environment
Data Quality
Data Management
Lineage
Acquisition Info
Child Items
Related Items
Catalog Details

Summary

Short Citation
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2024: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations in the Pacific Remote Island Areas from 2014 to 2018, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36100.
Full Citation Examples

DOI: doi:10.7289/V5BC3WV3

Abstract

Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data were collected as part of NOAA's ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). These data were gathered around the Pacific Remote Island Areas as a part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led missions from 2014 to 2018.

During these missions, the variables of benthic complexity and urchin abundance were recorded by SCUBA divers during visual surveys at NCRMP climate stations. A select number of climate sites were chosen per island in hard-bottom habitat at 15-m depths in a stratified random fashion.

To record benthic complexity, the divers ran a 15-m transect from the reference stake for the site and estimated two maximum vertical relief measurements per meter along the 15-m transect (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) for a total of 30 measurements. The measurements were tallied into five substrate height bins, including 0-20 cm, 20-50 cm, 50-100 cm, 100-150 cm, and >150 cm. The total frequency for the five substrate height bins is 30 units for a 15-m transect. Maximum depth, minimum depth, and maximum vertical relief were also recorded for the climate station.

Free and boring urchin abundance was estimated within the climate station and recorded using DACOR, an abundance code based on visual estimation; dominant (D), abundant (A), common (C), occasional (O), and rare (R).

Distribution Information

  • CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

    Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2015.

  • CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

    Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across Wake Island in 2014.

  • CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

    Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across Wake Island in 2017.

  • CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

    Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division at sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas during ASRAMP 2018.

  • ERDDAP Data Service

    NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) ERDDAP web service for the benthic complexity and urchin abundance data collected by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) at sites across the Pacific Islands Region during ESD-led NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program missions from 2013 to 2018.

    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).

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 (2019). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations of the Pacific Remote Island Areas from 2014 to 2018. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36100.

Controlled Theme Keywords

biota, oceans

Child Items

Type Title
Entity View: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY

Contact Information

Point of Contact
Hannah C Barkley
hannah.barkley@noaa.gov

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

Extents

Geographic Area 1

-176.623989° W, -159.97881° E, 16.76343° N, -0.38241° S

Phoenix (Baker and Howland) and Line Islands (Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra), and Johnston Atoll. These six of the seven PRIA are routinely surveyed as part of the American Samoa RAMP (ASRAMP) missions (Johnston, Baker and Howland during the first leg of ASRAMP, and Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra during the last leg of ASRAMP).

Geographic Area 2

166.5109° W, 166.65155° E, 19.31625° N, 19.27069° S

Wake Island, one of the seven PRIA, is routinely surveyed as part of the Mariana Archipelago RAMP (MARAMP) missions.

Time Frame 1
2014-03-16 - 2014-03-20

MARAMP 2014

Time Frame 2
2015-01-26 - 2015-04-27

ASRAMP 2015

Time Frame 3
2017-04-19 - 2017-04-23
Time Frame 4
2018-06-08 - 2018-08-10

Time frame of surveys for benthic complexity and urchin abundance conducted at Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra during ASRAMP 2018.

Item Identification

Title: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations in the Pacific Remote Island Areas from 2014 to 2018
Short Name: NCRMP: Benthic Complexity/Urchin Abundance PRIAs
Status: Completed
Creation Date: 2016-12
Revision Date: 2019-03
Publication Date: 2019
Abstract:

Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data were collected as part of NOAA's ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). These data were gathered around the Pacific Remote Island Areas as a part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led missions from 2014 to 2018.

During these missions, the variables of benthic complexity and urchin abundance were recorded by SCUBA divers during visual surveys at NCRMP climate stations. A select number of climate sites were chosen per island in hard-bottom habitat at 15-m depths in a stratified random fashion.

To record benthic complexity, the divers ran a 15-m transect from the reference stake for the site and estimated two maximum vertical relief measurements per meter along the 15-m transect (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) for a total of 30 measurements. The measurements were tallied into five substrate height bins, including 0-20 cm, 20-50 cm, 50-100 cm, 100-150 cm, and >150 cm. The total frequency for the five substrate height bins is 30 units for a 15-m transect. Maximum depth, minimum depth, and maximum vertical relief were also recorded for the climate station.

Free and boring urchin abundance was estimated within the climate station and recorded using DACOR, an abundance code based on visual estimation; dominant (D), abundant (A), common (C), occasional (O), and rare (R).

Purpose:

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.

Supplemental Information:

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 Ecosystem Sciences Division at NOAA Fisheries is leading climate monitoring in the U.S. Pacific Islands Region.

The climate component of NCRMP in the Pacific provides a comprehensive view of climate change impacts on coral reef ecosystems and helps identify areas of resilience and vulnerability. The key indicators used to identify and monitor climate-driven trends include 1) thermal stress caused by changes in sea temperature, 2) ocean acidification resulting from changes in carbonate chemistry, and 3) ecological impacts by collecting data on coral growth rates, erosion, and community structure to understand the impacts of thermal stress and ocean acidification on the ecosystem. Each year, ESD scientists work closely with CRCP and partners during Pacific RAMP missions to collect data using moored oceanographic (subsurface temperature recorders) and ecological (calcification accretion units [CAUs] and autonomous reef monitoring structures [ARMS]) instruments stationed at fixed sites in the Pacific Ocean, and water samples collected by divers. The in-situ data and satellite-based observations are also used in modeling efforts. Innovative analysis techniques are 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/V5BC3WV3
DOI Registration Authority: NOAA

Keywords

Theme Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
ISO 19115 Topic Category
biota
ISO 19115 Topic Category
oceans
UNCONTROLLED
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus Numeric Data Sets > Benthic
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biological Classification > Animals/Invertebrates > ECHINODERMS > SEA URCHINS
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment
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 > Rugosity
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 HABITAT - BENTHIC
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS MACROINVERTEBRATE CENSUS
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS benthic
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS survey - swimmer/diver
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS visual estimate
NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS HI'IALAKAI
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 Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program

Spatial Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
UNCONTROLLED
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Baker Island (00N176W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Howland Island (00S176W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Jarvis Island (00S160W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Johnston Atoll (16N169W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Kingman Reef (06N162W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Wake Atoll (19N167E0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Baker Island > Baker Island (00N176W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Howland Island > Howland Island (00S176W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Johnston Atoll > Johnston Atoll (16N169W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Jarvis Island (00S160W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Kingman Reef (06N162W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Wake Atoll > Wake Atoll (19N167E0001)
NODC Sea Area Names Thesaurus Equatorial Pacific Ocean
NODC Sea Area Names Thesaurus Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument
None Pacific Remote Island Areas
None PRIA
None PRIMNM

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:

Updated March 2019 to add data collected in 2018

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

Raw survey data includes metadata for each survey; frequency of topographic complexity; and a measure of urchin abundance.

Entity Attribute Detail URL: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36104
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

Support Roles

Data Set Credit

CC ID: 367564
Date Effective From: 2014
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: 831506
Date Effective From: 2018
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): Barkley, Hannah C
Address: 1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96818
USA
Email Address: hannah.barkley@noaa.gov

Distributor

CC ID: 367563
Date Effective From: 2016
Date Effective To:
Contact (Organization): NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
Email Address: ncei.info@noaa.gov
URL: NCEI Contact Information

Metadata Contact

CC ID: 367559
Date Effective From: 2014
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
Contact Instructions:

Email preferred

Originator

CC ID: 367561
Date Effective From: 2014
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: 831507
Date Effective From: 2018
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): Barkley, Hannah C
Address: 1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96818
USA
Email Address: hannah.barkley@noaa.gov
View Historical Support Roles

Extents

Currentness Reference: Ground Condition

Extent Group 1

Extent Description:

Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA) including Baker, Howland, Jarvis, and Wake islands, Kingman Reef, and Johnston and Palmyra atolls.

Extent Group 1 / Geographic Area 1

CC ID: 367584
W° Bound: -176.623989
E° Bound: -159.97881
N° Bound: 16.76343
S° Bound: -0.38241
Description

Phoenix (Baker and Howland) and Line Islands (Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra), and Johnston Atoll. These six of the seven PRIA are routinely surveyed as part of the American Samoa RAMP (ASRAMP) missions (Johnston, Baker and Howland during the first leg of ASRAMP, and Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra during the last leg of ASRAMP).

Extent Group 1 / Geographic Area 2

CC ID: 367585
W° Bound: 166.5109
E° Bound: 166.65155
N° Bound: 19.31625
S° Bound: 19.27069
Description

Wake Island, one of the seven PRIA, is routinely surveyed as part of the Mariana Archipelago RAMP (MARAMP) missions.

Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 1

CC ID: 367582
Time Frame Type: Range
Start: 2014-03-16
End: 2014-03-20
Alternate Start As Of Info: HA1401
Description:

MARAMP 2014

Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 2

CC ID: 367583
Time Frame Type: Range
Start: 2015-01-26
End: 2015-04-27
Alternate Start As Of Info: HA1501
Description:

ASRAMP 2015

Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 3

CC ID: 592129
Time Frame Type: Range
Start: 2017-04-19
End: 2017-04-23
Alternate Start As Of Info: HA1701

Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 4

CC ID: 831508
Time Frame Type: Range
Start: 2018-06-08
End: 2018-08-10
Alternate Start As Of Info: HA1801
Description:

Time frame of surveys for benthic complexity and urchin abundance conducted at Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra during ASRAMP 2018.

Access Information

Security Class: Unclassified
Security Classification System:

Not applicable

Security Handling Description:

Not applicable

Data Access Policy:

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 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). 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 (2019). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations of the Pacific Remote Island Areas from 2014 to 2018. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36100.

Metadata Access Constraints:

None

Metadata Use Constraints:

None

Distribution Information

Distribution 1

CC ID: 367596
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0159146
Distributor: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (2016 - Present)
File Name: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY PRIAs 2015.csv
Description:

Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2015.

File Date/Time: 2019-04-01 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): csv (comma-separated values)
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

Distribution 2

CC ID: 367595
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0159160
Distributor: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (2016 - Present)
File Name: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY PRIAs 2014.csv
Description:

Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across Wake Island in 2014.

File Date/Time: 2016-12-16 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): csv (comma-separated values)
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

Distribution 3

CC ID: 592131
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0167408
Distributor: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (2016 - Present)
File Name: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY PRIAs 2017.csv
Description:

Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across Wake Island in 2017.

File Date/Time: 2017-09-08 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): csv (comma-separated values)
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

Distribution 4

CC ID: 831509
Download URL: https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0187898
Distributor: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (2016 - Present)
File Name: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY PRIAs 2018.csv
Description:

Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division at sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas during ASRAMP 2018.

File Date/Time: 2019-04-12 00:00:00
File Type (Deprecated): csv (comma-separated values)
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)

Distribution 5

CC ID: 833545
Download URL: https://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/CRCP_Benthic_Complexity_Urchin_Abundance_Pacific.html
Distributor: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (2016 - Present)
Description:

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) ERDDAP web service for the benthic complexity and urchin abundance data collected by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) at sites across the Pacific Islands Region during ESD-led NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program missions from 2013 to 2018.

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

URLs

URL 1

CC ID: 367587
URL: https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/ecosystem_sciences/
Name: Ecosystem Sciences Division
URL Type:
Online Resource
Description:

NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center website

Technical Environment

Description:

PIFSC Oracle database view: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY

Data Quality

Accuracy:

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.

Analytical Accuracy:

The benthic complexity surface relief measurements are recorded as frequencies and binned into 1 of 5 classification categories (0-20 cm, 20-50 cm, 50-100 cm, 100-150 cm, >150 cm).

DACOR (dominant, abundant, common, occasional, rare) abundance codes are used to quantify urchins in the NCRMP climate station. The number of free urchins and boring urchins within the climate station is visually estimated.

Completeness Report:

Only sites classified as NCRMP climate stations / permanent sites were surveyed in shallow water (0-30 m depths) hard-bottom habitats for benthic complexity and urchin abundance data. The data are complete as entered. Any null values recorded are due to an incomplete field survey and not by omission.

Conceptual Consistency:

Survey methods were consistent across all sites.

Quality Control Procedures Employed:

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 database during which any errors are flagged based on pre-defined criteria.

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?:

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.

Lineage

Lineage Statement:

Benthic complexity (i.e., substrate height) and urchin abundance survey method employed by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) since 2013. ESD's use of the 5-category method for benthic complexity was adapted from the University on North Carolina at Wilmington’s Protocol for Measuring Topographic Complexity. The category delineations for benthic complexity and urchin abundance are the same as those employed by ESD's fish team.

Process Steps

Process Step 1

CC ID: 367591
Description:

Climate Station/Site Selection:

A select number of National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) climate stations per island were established in a stratified random fashion to be roughly equally spaced around the island along the 15-m contour on hard-bottom habitat and at least 1 km away from a river mouth or embayment.

Process Contact: Barkley, Hannah C
Email Address: hannah.barkley@noaa.gov

Process Step 2

CC ID: 833224
Description:

Maximum Vertical Relief / Substrate Height:

At the NCRMP climate station SCUBA divers ran a 15-m transect from the reference stake. Along the 15-m transect tape, two maximum vertical relief measurements per meter were tallied (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) for a total of 30 measurements. The total frequency # for the five substrate height bins should add up to 30 units for a 15-m transect.

Maximum depth, minimum depth, and maximum vertical relief were also recorded for the climate station. These measurements are defined as:

Maximum depth - deepest point in the NCRMP climate station

Minimum depth - shallowest point in the NCRMP climate station

Maximum vertical relief - height of tallest reef structure present within the NCRMP climate station.

Process Contact: Barkley, Hannah C
Email Address: hannah.barkley@noaa.gov

Process Step 3

CC ID: 833225
Description:

Free and Boring Urchin Abundance:

Urchin abundance was estimated by conducting a visual census of free and boring urchins within the NCRMP climate station and was recorded using DACOR, an abundance code based on visual estimation: dominant (D), abundant (A), common (C), occasional (O), and rare (R).

For Free Urchins, DACOR categories are quantified as:

D: 101-999

A: 51-100

C: 21-50

O: 6-20

R: 0-5

For Boring Urchins, DACOR categories are quantified as:

D: 501-999

A: 251-500

C: 101-250

O: 26-100

R: 0-25

Process Contact: Barkley, Hannah C
Email Address: hannah.barkley@noaa.gov

Acquisition Information

Instruments

Instrument Unavailable Reason: Not Applicable

Platforms

Platform Unavailable Reason: Not Applicable

Child Items

Rubric scores updated every 15m

Rubric Score Type Title
Entity View: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY

Catalog Details

Catalog Item ID: 36100
GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:36100
Metadata Record Created By: Troy T Kanemura
Metadata Record Created: 2016-12-21 15:12+0000
Metadata Record Last Modified By: SysAdmin InPortAdmin
Metadata Record Last Modified: 2024-10-03 18:16+0000
Metadata Record Published: 2018-10-27
Owner Org: PIFSC
Metadata Publication Status: Published Externally
Do Not Publish?: N
Metadata Last Review Date: 2018-10-27
Metadata Review Frequency: 1 Year
Metadata Next Review Date: 2019-10-27