36154
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Images Collected from Stratified Random Sites (StRS) across the Pacific Remote Island Areas since 2014
NCRMP: Benthic Images StRS PRIAs
Data Set
Published / External
32956
Pacific Remote Island Areas
Project
On Going
2016-12
2023-11
2024-03
The data described here are benthic habitat imagery that result from benthic photo-quadrat surveys conducted along transects at stratified random sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA) since 2014 as a part of Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys for corals and fish.
A stratified random sampling (StRS) design was employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems across the region. The survey domain encompassed the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats in the 0-30 m depth range. The stratification scheme included island, reef zone, and depth. Sampling effort was allocated based on strata area and sites were randomly located within strata. Sites were surveyed using photo-quadrats along transects to collect benthic imagery to ultimately produce estimates of relative abundance (benthic cover), frequency of occurrence, benthic community taxonomic composition and relative generic richness.
The StRS design effectively reduces estimate variance through stratification using environmental covariates and by sampling more sites rather than sampling more transects at a site. Therefore, site-level estimates and site to site comparisons should be used with caution.
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 (ESD) 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.
https://doi.org/10.7289/v5154fbh
NOAA
Theme
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC/ESD > Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Theme
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC
Theme
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF
Theme
ISO 19115 Topic Category
biota
Spatial
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS
Instrument
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
CAMERA > CAMERA
Theme
CRCP Project
743
Theme
CRCP Project
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program
Theme
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
Visual Images > Habitats
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
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 > Reef Monitoring and Assessment
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Belt Transect
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies
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
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral
Theme
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities
Theme
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS
PHOTOQUADRAT IMAGES
Theme
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS
biological
Theme
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS
imagery
Theme
NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS
in situ
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 PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS
Pacific Reef and Assessment Monitoring Program
Theme
NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS
US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division
Theme
CRED
Theme
CREP
Theme
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
Theme
Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
Theme
ESD
Theme
Ecosystem Sciences Division
Theme
PIFSC
Theme
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Theme
RAMP
Theme
REA
Theme
Rapid Ecological Assessment
Theme
Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program
Temporal
Triennial
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Baker Island (00N176W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Howland Island (00S176W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Jarvis Island (00S160W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Johnston Atoll (16N169W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Kingman Reef (06N162W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Wake Atoll (19N167E0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Baker Island > Baker Island (00N176W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Howland Island > Howland Island (00S176W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Johnston Atoll > Johnston Atoll (16N169W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Jarvis Island (00S160W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Kingman Reef (06N162W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001)
Spatial
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Wake Atoll > Wake Atoll (19N167E0001)
Spatial
NODC Sea Area Names Thesaurus
Equatorial Pacific Ocean
Spatial
NODC Sea Area Names Thesaurus
Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument
Spatial
PRIA
Spatial
PRIMNM
Spatial
Pacific Remote Island Areas
Instrument
NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS
photograph
Platform
NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS
HI'IALAKAI
Platform
NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS
OSCAR ELTON SETTE
Platform
NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS
Rainier
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Honolulu
HI
USA
Data Set
JPG Files
As Needed
Updated March 2019 to add imagery collected in 2018
Image (digital)
Raw data include ~30 benthic photographs per survey site. Included in the archive package is a list of survey sites, including site, date, latitude (dd), and longitude (dd) where photoquads were collected. The file naming convention for each photo/image is [SITE]_[YEAR]_[TRANSECT]_[PHOTO_NUMBER].JPG (e.g., TUT-903_2012_A_01.JPG).
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/53704
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 Ecosystem Sciences Division and funded by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
Digital camera
Not applicable
Not applicable
53704
benthic_image_site_info_DataDictionary_2023
Published / External
List of sites associated with benthic images
Data Table
Yes
List of sites associated with benthic images
DATE_
DATETIME
No
No
Active
date (day, month, year) photograph was taken
LATITUDE
NUMERIC
No
No
Active
Latitude (dd) of the survey site where photoquads were collected.
LONGITUDE
NUMERIC
No
No
Active
Longitude (dd) of the survey site where photoquads were collected.
1
SITE
TEXT
No
No
Active
Unique id for survey site
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
2022
Person
Oliver, Thomas
thomas.oliver@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
(808)725-5444
Data Steward
2014
2022
Person
Vargas-Angel, Bernardo
bernardo.vargasangel@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
(808)725-5423
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
2021
Person
Luers, Lori H
lori.luers@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
Metadata Contact
2014
2021
Person
DesRochers, Annette M
annette.desrochers@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
(808)725-5461
8 am - 5 pm
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
2022
Person
Oliver, Thomas
thomas.oliver@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
(808)725-5444
Point of Contact
2014
2022
Person
Vargas-Angel, Bernardo
bernardo.vargasangel@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
(808)725-5423
Ground Condition
Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA) including Baker, Howland, Jarvis, and Wake islands, Kingman Reef, and Johnston and Palmyra atolls.
-176.6267816
-159.971695
16.780927
-0.382607
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).
166.5937066
166.657759
19.32573345
19.26737797
Wake Island, one of the seven PRIA, is routinely surveyed as part of the Mariana Archipelago RAMP (MARAMP) missions.
Range
2014-03-16
2014-03-20
HA1401
Time frame of surveys at Wake during MARAMP 2014
Range
2015-01-26
2015-04-28
HA1501
Time frame of surveys in the PRIA during ASRAMP 2015
Range
2016-05-16
2016-05-22
SE1602
Time frame of surveys at Jarvis in 2016
Range
2017-04-02
2017-04-23
HA1701
Time frame of surveys at Baker, Howland, Jarvis, and Wake during MARAMP 2017
Range
2018-06-08
2018-08-11
HA1801
Photo-quad surveys conducted at Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra during ASRAMP 2018.
Range
2023-03-15
2023-05-07
RA2301
Time frame benthic images were collected across the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA) during AS-NCRMP 2023.
Unclassified
Not applicable
Not applicable
NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) Data Sharing Recommendations, version 9.0 updated August 12, 2015:
The ESD welcomes the opportunity to collaborate on research issues contributing to the scientific basis for better management of marine ecosystems. The 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 ESD, 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 Coral Reef 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 can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.
None
Please cite PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) when using the data.
Example:
Ecosystem Sciences Division; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2023). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Images from Stratified Random Sites (StRS) across the Pacific Remote Island Areas since 2014. NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36154
None
None
2024-03
http://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0289904
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
NCRMP_STRS_IMAGES_PRIA_2023
Photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2023 by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD)
JPEG
18.5GB
Zip
2024-03
http://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0289904
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
NCRMP_STRS_SITEINFO_PRIA_2023.csv
Metadata (site, date, and location) for photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2023 by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD)
CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157633
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
PIFSC_NTM-PIFSC-71_2018_SOP_Benthic.pdf
SOP that describes method to collect benthic images during the surveys.
2018-08-31T00:00:00
PDF
PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0159153
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
StR Images PRIAs 2015
Photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2015 by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP)
JPEG
JPEG
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0159153
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
Site Info PRIAs 2015.csv
Metadata (site, date, and location) for photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2015 by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP)
2016-12-30T00:00:00
csv (comma-separated values)
CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0159157
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
StR Images PRIAs 2014
Photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across Wake Island in 2014 by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP)
JPEG
JPEG
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0159157
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
Site Info PRIAs 2014.csv
Metadata (site, date, and location) for photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across Wake Islands of the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2014 by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP)
2016-12-30T00:00:00
csv (comma-separated values)
CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0176287
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
Site Info PRIAs 2016.csv
Metadata (site, date, and location) for photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across Jarvis of the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2016 by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD)
2018-09-11T00:00:00
csv (comma-separated values)
CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0176287
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
StR Images PRIAs 2016
Photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across Jarvis Island in 2016 by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD)
2018-09-12T00:00:00
JPEG
JPEG
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0176288
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
Site Info PRIAs 2017.csv
Metadata (site, date, and location) for photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2017 by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD)
2018-07-29T00:00:00
csv (comma-separated values)
CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0176288
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
StR Images PRIAs 2017
Photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2017 by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD)
2018-09-11T00:00:00
JPG
JPEG
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0187564
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
Site Info PRIAs 2018.csv
Metadata (site, date, and location) for photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2018 during mission HA1801 by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division.
2019-03-30T00:00:00
csv (comma-separated values)
CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0187564
2016
Organization
National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
StR Images PRIAs 2018
Photoquadrat benthic images collected at stratified random sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2018 by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD).
2019-03-30T00:00:00
JPG
JPEG
https://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program
Online Resource
HTML
NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) website.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ecosystems/coral-reefs-pacific
PIFSC ESD: Coral Reefs in the Pacific
Online Resource
HTML
Overview of NOAA Ecosystem Sciences Division, Archipelagic Research Program's methods to assess corals.
https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/ecosystem_sciences/
Ecosystem Sciences Division
Online Resource
HTML
PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division website
PIFSC network/file system:
\\picQueenFish\optical\OPTICAL\
\\picQueenFish\general\Cruise\CruiseData
Handheld GPS units were used to locate random sites and mark site locations.
Image data include ~30 benthic photographs per survey site from both the fish and benthic team surveys. The fish team conducts the photoquadrat surveys along one 30-m transect. The benthic team conducts the surveys along 2 independent 18-m transects. Therefore, the site level image data contain one transect (A) for fish team surveys and two transects (A and B) for benthic team surveys. Appropriate site level image grouping should include all 30 images.
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.
The same methods of data collection were used at each surveyed site.
The photos are reviewed by the diver for accuracy and usability. The data management team also uses a optical validation script to re-name photos and enforce several validation checks.
Yes
Unknown
Yes
No
Unknown
NCEI-MD
Unknown
The images reside on a file server maintained and regularly backed up by PIFSC ITS.
The stratified random sampling (StRS) design and benthic photoquadrat survey methodology, employed by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) since 2013. Benthic imagery is collected at stratified random sites. These photos are color-corrected (if necessary) prior to analysis. The data management team also uses a optical validation script to re-name photos and enforce several validation checks.
Swanson D, Bailey H, Schumacher B, Ferguson M, Vargas-Angel B. 2018. Ecosystem Sciences Division standard operating procedures: data collection for rapid ecological assessment benthic surveys. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-71, 63 p.
Organization
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC
Originator
2018-08-31
https://doi.org/10.25923/39jh-8993
NOAA Institutional Repository
Ecosystem Sciences Division standard operating procedures: data collection for rapid ecological assessment benthic surveys
The SOP describes the method to collect benthic images during the survey.
1
A stratified random sampling (StRS) design was employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems through the U.S. Pacific regions. The survey domain encompassed the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats. The stratification scheme included island, reef zone, and depth in all regions, as well as habitat structure type in the Main Hawaiian Islands. The habitat structure types included simple, complex, and coral-rich. Depth categories of shallow (0-6 m), mid (> 6-18m) and deep (>18-30 m) were also incorporated into the stratification scheme. Allocation of sampling effort was proportional to strata area. Sites were randomly selected within each stratum.
A geographic information system (GIS) and digital spatial databases of benthic habitats (NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science NCCOS), reef zones (IKONOS satellite imagery, NDGC 1998) bathymetry (NDGC 1998, CREP benthic mapping data), and marine reserve boundaries (NOAA) were used to facilitate spatial delineation of the sampling survey domain, strata, and sample units. Map resolution was such that the survey domain could be overlain by a grid using a GIS with individual cells of size 50 m by 50 m in area. A two-stage sampling scheme following Cochran (1977) was employed to control for spatial variation in population parameters at scales smaller than the grid cell minimum mapping unit (2,500 m2). Grid cells containing hard-bottom reef habitats were designated as primary sample units (referred to as sites).
Person
Swanson, Dione W
dione.swanson@noaa.gov
1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
(808)725-5417
Swanson D, Bailey H, Schumacher B, Ferguson M, Vargas-Angel B. 2018. Ecosystem Sciences Division standard operating procedures: data collection for rapid ecological assessment benthic surveys. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-71, 63 p.
2
Photoquadrat surveys were conducted by both the fish and benthic teams. Still photographs were collected to record the benthic community composition at predetermined points along the transect lines with a high-resolution digital camera mounted on a pole. Overall, 30 photoquadrat images are collected at each site. The fish team conducts these surveys along one 30 meter transect that spans the length of two stationary point count (SPC) cylinders used to assess fish abundance (30 images total, Transect A). Benthic substrate photos are taken at one meter intervals along the right hand side of the 30 m transect line. The benthic team conducts the photoquadrat surveys along two, independent 18 meter transects. Photos of the benthic substrate are taken at one meter intervals starting at meter 1, along the left hand side of each 18 meter transect (15 images/transect; 30 images total; Transect A and B).
3
Raw data include ~30 benthic photographs per survey site. Included in the archive package is a list of survey sites, including site, date, latitude (dd), and longitude (dd) where photoquads were collected. The file naming convention for each photo/image is [SITE]_[YEAR]_[TRANSECT]_[PHOTO_NUMBER].JPG (e.g., TUT-903_2012_A_01.JPG).
Unknown
Not Applicable
53704
Entity
benthic_image_site_info_DataDictionary_2023
36157
Data Set
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Cover Derived from Analysis of Benthic Images Collected during Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) across the Pacific Remote Island Areas since 2014
Cross Reference
25247
Data Set
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Images Collected from Stratified Random Sites (StRS) across American Samoa since 2015
Cross Reference
36152
Data Set
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Images Collected from Stratified Random Sites (StRS) across the Hawaiian Archipelago from 2013 to 2019
Cross Reference
36153
Data Set
National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Images Collected from Stratified Random Sites (StRS) across the Mariana Archipelago since 2014
Cross Reference
gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:36154
Troy Kanemura
2016-12-30T16:31:24
Lori Luers
2024-03-05T17:11:46
2024-03-05
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
2017-01-23
1 Year
2018-01-23