Marine Debris Entities from Underwater Surveys

Mission or Cruise

Vessel or Vehicle the mission was conducted from. In the case of ship-based mission, this is the parent vessel.

Values=LAND REMOVAL, MARINE REMOVAL, AERIAL SURVEY, NO_DATA, indicates type of survey.

"Land" surveys were depricated from this table after 2/2013

Descriptive Region Code, Currently: MHI = Main Hawaiian Islands, NWHI = Northwest Hawaiian Islands/Papahanaumamakuakea National Monument

Long Description of Region

Descriptive 3 digit code for the island or atoll work was conducted at.

FFS: French Frigate Shoals

KUR: Kure Atoll

MAR: Maro Reef

PHR: Pearl and Hermes Atoll

LIS: Lisianski Island

MID: Midway Atoll

Full LOCATION

Full LOCATION and Region

Sequential value for each daily load (per small boat) beginning with 1. For example, We have four small boats conducting removals (MD1, MD2, MD3 and MD4). Each of these four boats will have a load 1. If any of them go back out for a second load, only that boat would have a load #2.

Latitude of individual DFG (net) point from GPS waypoint. This lat/long information is associated with the individual DFG net point that all net-associated data corresponds to.

Longitude of individual DFG (net) point from GPS waypoint

Where debris is recovered from, either LAND (shoreline) or WATER (from the reefs)

Unit=Kilograms. Weight of debris load (boat-load). This is NOT the weight of this DFG net point, but the weight of the larger load that includes this DFG net point and other DFG points removed by that boat that day.

This entity added for use in 2003

Date the spatial data on GPS unit was collected (typically the date the survey was completed)

Values: YES, NO, NO_DATA, indicates if survey was completed by divers being towed behind a vessel

Values: YES, NO, NO_DATA, indicates if survey was completed by divers swimming

Values: YES, NO, NO_DATA, indicates if survey was completed by participants on land (shoreline). Generally used for opportunistic shoreline removals of DFG on same day as an in-water survey

Units=Meters, Measured Value

This is a measure of underwater visibility at the start of each day in the area surveyed. It can be considered the limit at which a fishing net can be seen underwater. A visibility measurement is taken once in the morning before surveys, and once at the end of the day after surveys are complete. A 1ftx1ft piece of green trawl/seine net is attached to a measuring tape and two divers swim apart until the limit of visibility of the net is reached. That data is then recorded.

Units=Meters, Measured Value

This is a measure of underwater visibility at the end of each day in the area surveyed. It can be considered the limit at which a fishing net can be seen underwater. A visibility measurement is taken once in the morning before surveys, and once at the end of the day after surveys are complete. A 1ftx1ft piece of green trawl/seine net is attached to a measuring tape and two divers swim apart until the limit of visibility of the net is reached. That data is then recorded.

Type of Survey Conducted. Values: NON_SURVEY, LAND, SWIM, TOW, and NO_DATA

Unit=meters, Length of DFG as found in the water, measured as longest 2 dimensional value. Measured to the nearest 0.05m

Unit=meters, Average width of DFG as found in the water, measured as shorter 2 dimensional value. Measured to the nearest 0.05m

Unit=meters, Average height of DFG as found in the water, measured to the nearest 0.01m

Values: YES, NO, NO_DATA, (Blanks)

This indicates if the DFG was removed from the water or land or left in place.

Unit=cubic meters,Volume of net physically removed from the water (volume estimated after pulled into the boat and consolidated into a pile. Does not reflect in-water LxWxH.

Added as a data field for use in 2005

This entity depricated as of 3-2013, inconsistently used

Unit=meters: Average Depth of DFG as found in the water to the nearest 0.1m.

Expanded Name for Type of DFG

Is the Debris a mixture of DFG types? NO, YES, or NO_DATA

Original Debris TypeDesignations, Values generally: M: MONOFILAMENT GILLNET, F: TRAWL/SEINE, T: TRAWL (MULTIPANEL/COD END ONLY), R: MISC. LINE, H: HAWSER, L: LONGLINE, G: MULTIFILAMENT GILLNET, O: OTHER, NO_DATA, or SCRAP_METAL

Most Prominent Color of DFG. Value from Mar_Color.Color_Code column

Values are NO_DATA, 1=0-25%, 2=26-50%, 3=51-75%, 4=76-100%

Describing the level of bio-fouling on the surface of the DFG as found in the water. The percentage of the visible surface of the DFG that is fouled with bio-fouling.

% of total DFG physically removed and weighed. Note: sometimes all, or portions of, a given DFG net are left in place due to concerns of contributing to added coral damage.

YES= Discernable Coral Growth has occured, NO= Discernable Coral Growth has not occured

This refers to whether new coral growth has occurred in one of two ways: 1. Coral grows around the strands of DFG, encapsulating the DFG within the coral, or 2. New corals have recruited on top of the DFG, using it as a substrate for growth.

Indicates type of coral growth: R: RECRUITING, or E: ENCAPSULATED

This refers to whether new coral growth has occurred in one of two ways: 1. Coral grows around the strands of DFG, encapsulating the DFG within the coral, or 2. New corals have recruited on top of the DFG, using it as a substrate for growth.

Genera of coral that has encapsulated or recruited on the DFG if known. Generally, PP: POCILLOPORA, POR: PORITES, or MON: MONTIPORA

Indicates type of coral growth: R: RECRUITING, or E: ENCAPSULATED

This refers to whether new coral growth has occurred in one of two ways: 1. Coral grows around the strands of DFG, encapsulating the DFG within the coral, or 2. New corals have recruited on top of the DFG, using it as a substrate for growth.

Genera of coral that has encapsulated or recruited on the DFG if known. Generally, PP: POCILLOPORA, POR: PORITES, or MON: MONTIPORA

Indicates type of coral growth: R: RECRUITING, or E: ENCAPSULATED.

This refers to whether new coral growth has occurred in one of two ways: 1. Coral grows around the strands of DFG, encapsulating the DFG within the coral, or 2. New corals have recruited on top of the DFG, using it as a substrate for growth.

Genera of coral that has encapsulated or recruited on the DFG if known. Generally, PP: POCILLOPORA, POR: PORITES, or MON: MONTIPORA

Percentage of Substrate that is Sand (Using total of sand, live coral, algae, and coral cement as 100%)

How to: using the length & width of the net/line as a visual gauge (planar perimeter), estimate a similar

planar area on each side of net. The substrate to be characterized will be both the habitat in this extended area as well as underneath the net/line.

Percentage of Substrate that is Live Coral (Using total of sand, live coral, algae, and coral cement as 100%)

How to: using the length & width of the net/line as a visual gauge (planar perimeter), estimate a similar

planar area on each side of net. The substrate to be characterized will be both the habitat in this extended area as well as underneath the net/line.

Percentage of Substrate that is Macroalgae (Using total of sand, live coral, algae, and coral cement as 100%)

How to: using the length & width of the net/line as a visual gauge (planar perimeter), estimate a similar

planar area on each side of net. The substrate to be characterized will be both the habitat in this extended area as well as underneath the net/line.

Percentage of Substrate that is Coral Cement aka reef pavement. (Using total of sand, live coral, algae, and coral cement as 100%)

How to: using the length & width of the net/line as a visual gauge (planar perimeter), estimate a similar

planar area on each side of net. The substrate to be characterized will be both the habitat in this extended area as well as underneath the net/line.

Unusual observations about the DFG or its collection

Most Prominent Color of Substrate. Value from Mar_Color.Color_Code column