NEPR Ground Validation Points 2015

This shapefile denotes the location of underwater photos and videos taken in shallow water (0-35m) benthic habitats surrounding Northeast Puerto Rico and Culebra Island. The area includes the nearshore waters of Fajardo and Luqillo to the Former Roosevelt Roads Navy Base, the Vieques Sound, La Cordillera Reserve, the Luis Pena Reserve, and the waters around Culebra Island. The GV data contains GPS-positioned underwater photo/videos of selected benthic habitats that were used to enhance thematic maps created by the Biogeography Team. The observations from the videos are used to classify seafloor features and develop a benthic habitat map. The GV data was collected in July 8 - 24, 2013 and October 22- November 7, 2013. The field work was conducted by NOAA together with local DRNA and NOAA contractors.

The primary purpose of this dataset was to provide ground validation to the benthic habitat map for the Northeast Reserve, Puerto Rico (NEPR). Habitat maps provide a spatially explicit representation of benthic structure and biological cover. The spatial products developed for this project will: (1) inform local managers as to the current distribution of resources, (2) provide a point of comparison for past and future mapping efforts, (3) help locate sensitive marine communities, and (4) guide monitoring efforts and prioritize management actions.

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Each ground validation point contains the benthic habitat information based on observational data collected from the underwater video by the Biogeography Team. The benthic habitat classification system is based on the structure developed by the Biogeography team used throughout the US Caribbean. Each GV point contains information on major geomorphological structure, detailed geomorphological structure, percent hardbottom, topographic complexity, dominant biological cover, percent biological cover, co-occurring biological cover, percent coral cover, dominant coral type (hard/soft/mixed), Acropora presence, fauna presence and visibility conditions.

For more details on the entity and attribute information on the NEPR Ground Validation shapefile and the benthic habitat classification scheme, see Chapter 2 of the NCOSS technical memorandum Mapping of Northeast Puerto Rico and Culebra Island.

These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.

Please cite any use of this data.

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION. These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.

Microsoft Windows 7; ESRI ArcCatalog 10.1

point data represents the approximate centroid (+ - 20m) of each drop-camera or snorkel transit of a ground validation site.

Ground validation work was completed after two field missions. Extra GV sites that were determined to be useful habitat information were added to the shapefile as well. All GV points are linked to the site video and photos that are served in the Biomapper data portal.

All users should independently analyze the dataset according to their own needs and standards to determine data usability.