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Summary

Short Citation
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 2024: La Parguera, Puerto Rico Water Quality Monitoring Data 2003 - Present, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39614.
Full Citation Examples

Abstract

These water quality data are one of many studies being done to assess and monitor coral reef ecosystems. The intent of this work is three fold: (1) to spatially characterize and monitor the distribution, abundance, and size of both reef fishes and mega-invertebrates (conch, lobster, Diadema); (2) to relate this information to in-situ data collected on water quality and associated habitat parameters; (3) to use this information to establish the knowledge base necessary for enacting management decisions in a spatial setting and to establish the efficacy of those management decisions. Toward this end, the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment's Biogeography Branch (BB) has completed its fourth year and is beginning its fifth year of work in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. It is critical, with recent changes in management at both locations (e.g. implementation of MPAs) as well as proposed changes (e.g. zoning to manage multiple human uses) that action is taken now to accurately describe and characterize the fish/macro-invertebrate populations in these areas. It is also important that BB work closely with the individuals responsible for recommending and implementing these management strategies. Recognizing this, BB has been collaborating with partners at the University of Puerto Rico, National Park Service, US Geological Survey and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources.To quantify patterns of spatial distribution and make meaningful interpretations, we must first have knowledge of the underlying variables determining species distribution. The basis for this work therefore, is the nearshore benthic habitats maps ( less than 100 ft depth) created by NOAA's Biogeography Program in 2001 and NOS' bathymetry models. Using ArcView GIS software, the digitized habitat maps are stratified to select sampling stations. Sites are randomly selected within these strata to ensure coverage of the entire study region and not just a particular reef or seagrass area. At each site, fish, macro-invertebrates, and associated water quality and habitat information is then quantified following standardized protocols. By relating the data collected in the field back to the habitat maps and bathymetric models, BB is able to model and map species level and community level information. These protocols are standardized throughout the US Caribbean to enable quantification and comparison of reef fish abundance and distribution trends between locations. Armed with the knowledge of where "hot spots" of species richness and diversity are likely to occur in the seascape, the BB is in a unique position to answer questions about the efficacy of marine zoning strategies (e.g. placement of no fishing, anchoring, or snorkeling locations), and what locations are most suitable for establishing MPAs. Knowledge of the current status of fish/macro-invertebrate communities coupled with longer term monitoring will enable evaluation of management efficacy, thus it is essential to future management actions.

Distribution Information

Access Constraints:

None

Use Constraints:

Please reference NOAA/NCCOS/CCMA/Biogeography Branch when utilizing this data in a report or peer reviewed publication. Additionally, knowledge of how this dataset has been of use and which organizations are utilizing it is of great benefit for ensuring this information continues to meet the needs of the management and research communities. Therefore, it is requested but not mandatory, that any user of this data supply this information to the Program Manager: Timothy Battista (email: tim.battista@noaa.gov).

Controlled Theme Keywords

environment, oceans

Child Items

No Child Items for this record.

Contact Information

Point of Contact
NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator
NCCOS.data@noaa.gov

Metadata Contact
NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator
NCCOS.data@noaa.gov

Extents

Geographic Area 1

-67.14° W, -66.9° E, 17.98° N, 17.88° S

Time Frame 1
2003-05 - Present

Item Identification

Title: La Parguera, Puerto Rico Water Quality Monitoring Data 2003 - Present
Short Name: water_quality_pr_2003
Status: In Work
Publication Date: 2003-05
Abstract:

These water quality data are one of many studies being done to assess and monitor coral reef ecosystems. The intent of this work is three fold: (1) to spatially characterize and monitor the distribution, abundance, and size of both reef fishes and mega-invertebrates (conch, lobster, Diadema); (2) to relate this information to in-situ data collected on water quality and associated habitat parameters; (3) to use this information to establish the knowledge base necessary for enacting management decisions in a spatial setting and to establish the efficacy of those management decisions. Toward this end, the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment's Biogeography Branch (BB) has completed its fourth year and is beginning its fifth year of work in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. It is critical, with recent changes in management at both locations (e.g. implementation of MPAs) as well as proposed changes (e.g. zoning to manage multiple human uses) that action is taken now to accurately describe and characterize the fish/macro-invertebrate populations in these areas. It is also important that BB work closely with the individuals responsible for recommending and implementing these management strategies. Recognizing this, BB has been collaborating with partners at the University of Puerto Rico, National Park Service, US Geological Survey and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources.To quantify patterns of spatial distribution and make meaningful interpretations, we must first have knowledge of the underlying variables determining species distribution. The basis for this work therefore, is the nearshore benthic habitats maps ( less than 100 ft depth) created by NOAA's Biogeography Program in 2001 and NOS' bathymetry models. Using ArcView GIS software, the digitized habitat maps are stratified to select sampling stations. Sites are randomly selected within these strata to ensure coverage of the entire study region and not just a particular reef or seagrass area. At each site, fish, macro-invertebrates, and associated water quality and habitat information is then quantified following standardized protocols. By relating the data collected in the field back to the habitat maps and bathymetric models, BB is able to model and map species level and community level information. These protocols are standardized throughout the US Caribbean to enable quantification and comparison of reef fish abundance and distribution trends between locations. Armed with the knowledge of where "hot spots" of species richness and diversity are likely to occur in the seascape, the BB is in a unique position to answer questions about the efficacy of marine zoning strategies (e.g. placement of no fishing, anchoring, or snorkeling locations), and what locations are most suitable for establishing MPAs. Knowledge of the current status of fish/macro-invertebrate communities coupled with longer term monitoring will enable evaluation of management efficacy, thus it is essential to future management actions.

Purpose:

1) To spatially characterize and monitor the distribution, abundance, and size of both reef fishes and macro-invertebrates (conch, lobster, Diadema); 2) To relate this information to in-situ data collected on water quality and associated habitat parameters; 3) To use this information to establish the knowledge base necessary for enacting management decisions in a spatial setting; 4) To establish the efficacy of those management decisions; and 5) To work with the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program to develop data collection standards and easily implemented methodologies for transference to other agencies and to work toward standardizing data collection throughout the US states and territories.

Notes:

872

Supplemental Information:

This work is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico, National Park Service, US Geological Survey, and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources.

Keywords

Theme Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
ISO 19115 Topic Category
environment
ISO 19115 Topic Category
oceans
UNCONTROLLED
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus Numeric Data Sets > Water Quality
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Pigments > Photosynthetic pigments
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment >
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Optics > Turbidity
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Water Temperature
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Salinity/Density > Salinity
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus In situ physical
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus Monitoring and assessment
NOS Data Explorer Topic Category Environmental Monitoring
None Hydrolab

Spatial Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
UNCONTROLLED
CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > La Parguera > La Parguera (17N067W0002)
CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > La Parguera > La Parguera (17N067W0002)

Physical Location

Organization: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
City: Silver Spring
State/Province: MD

Data Set Information

Data Set Scope Code: Data Set
Maintenance Frequency: Twice a Year
Entity Attribute Overview:

We supply all water quality measurements taken. For specific information please see the data dictionary available on the database website.

Entity Attribute Detail Citation:

NOAA/NCCOS/CCMA/Biogeography Branch

Distribution Liability:

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, 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 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.NOAA makes no warranty regarding these data, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distributionconstitute such a warranty. NOAA can not assume liability for and damages caused by any errors oromissions in these data, nor as a result of the failure of these data to function on a particular system.

Data Set Credit: This is a cooperative effort between NOAA's Biogeography Team and the University of Puerto Rico

Support Roles

Data Steward

CC ID: 476920
Date Effective From: 2003-05
Date Effective To:
Contact (Position): NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator
Email Address: NCCOS.data@noaa.gov

Distributor

CC ID: 476922
Date Effective From: 2003-05
Date Effective To:
Contact (Position): NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator
Email Address: NCCOS.data@noaa.gov

Metadata Contact

CC ID: 476923
Date Effective From: 2003-05
Date Effective To:
Contact (Position): NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator
Email Address: NCCOS.data@noaa.gov

Point of Contact

CC ID: 476921
Date Effective From: 2003-05
Date Effective To:
Contact (Position): NCCOS Scientific Data Coordinator
Email Address: NCCOS.data@noaa.gov

Principal Investigator

CC ID: 476924
Date Effective From: 2003-05
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): Jeffrey, Chris
Email Address: chris.jeffrey@noaa.gov

Extents

Currentness Reference: Ground Condition

Extent Group 1

Extent Group 1 / Geographic Area 1

CC ID: 476927
W° Bound: -67.14
E° Bound: -66.9
N° Bound: 17.98
S° Bound: 17.88

Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 1

CC ID: 476926
Time Frame Type: Continuing
Start: 2003-05

Access Information

Security Class: Unclassified
Data Access Procedure:

Please contact Timothy Battista (tim.battista@noaa.gov);

Data Access Constraints:

None

Data Use Constraints:

Please reference NOAA/NCCOS/CCMA/Biogeography Branch when utilizing this data in a report or peer reviewed publication. Additionally, knowledge of how this dataset has been of use and which organizations are utilizing it is of great benefit for ensuring this information continues to meet the needs of the management and research communities. Therefore, it is requested but not mandatory, that any user of this data supply this information to the Program Manager: Timothy Battista (email: tim.battista@noaa.gov).

Distribution Information

Distribution 1

CC ID: 476928
Download URL: http://www8.nos.noaa.gov/biogeo_public/water_quality_query.aspx
Distributor:
Description:

Downloadable data

File Type (Deprecated): tab delimited text file
Distribution Format: Text (Tab Delimited)

URLs

URL 1

CC ID: 476919
URL: http://www8.nos.noaa.gov/biogeo_public/water_quality_query.aspx
URL Type:
Online Resource

Activity Log

Activity Log 1

CC ID: 476947
Activity Date/Time: 2014-08-07
Description:

Date that the source FGDC record was last modified.

Activity Log 2

CC ID: 476946
Activity Date/Time: 2017-04-05
Description:

Converted from Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (version FGDC-STD-001-1998) using 'fgdc_to_inport_xml.pl' script. Contact Tyler Christensen (NOS) for details.

Data Quality

Completeness Report:

This data consists of multiple water quality measurements across all nearshore marine habitats around La Parguera Puerto Rico. Sites were randomly selected and stratified by habitat types using NOAA's benthic habitat maps of Puerto Rico.

Conceptual Consistency:

Not applicable

Lineage

Process Steps

Process Step 1

CC ID: 476917
Description:

Site selection begins by stratifying NOAA's nearshore benthic habitat maps into predetermined habitat strata. Utilizing ArcGIS, sites are then randomly selected within strata throughout the region. Using a handheld GPS unit, the boat captain navigates to previously selected sites. A weighted buoy is dropped to mark any site where "live boating" is necessary. Prior to diver deployment, in-situ water quality measurements are taken. Using the Hydrolab Datasonde 4a, measurements are taken at the surface and as close to the bottom as possible. Water quality parameters include: depth (m), temperature (C), conductivity (mS/cm), turbidity (NTU), and chlorophyll a (mg/l). Data caveats: Bottom water quality measurements may not indicate actual depth for a site. The cord for the hydrolab is only 25 m, thus water quality measurements for deep sites reflect measurements "near the bottom". Also, measurements may not be complete due to sensor malfunction or cable connection problems. Process Date Range is 200305 - Present

Catalog Details

Catalog Item ID: 39614
GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:39614
Metadata Record Created By: Tyler Christensen
Metadata Record Created: 2017-04-05 12:53+0000
Metadata Record Last Modified By: SysAdmin InPortAdmin
Metadata Record Last Modified: 2023-10-17 16:12+0000
Metadata Record Published: 2017-04-17
Owner Org: NCCOS
Metadata Publication Status: Published Externally
Do Not Publish?: N
Metadata Last Review Date: 2017-04-17
Metadata Review Frequency: 1 Year
Metadata Next Review Date: 2018-04-17