Characterization of benthic habitats within St. Thomas East End Reserve (STEER), USVI
steer_habitat_metadata_1112
eng
Dataset
biota
environment
oceans
Numeric Data Sets > Benthic
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat > Description
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algal cover
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Calcareous macroalgae
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Coralline algae
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Crustose coralline algae
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Encrusting macroalgae
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Fleshy macroalgae
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Turf algae
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases > Bleaching
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Baseline studies
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Benthos analysis
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Benthos analysis > Quadrat monitoring
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Benthos analysis > Quadrat monitoring > In situ
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Benthos analysis > Transect monitoring
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Benthos analysis > Transect monitoring > Belt transect
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Damage assessment > photographic
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Damage assessment > visual
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > In situ biological
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Sponges
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Sponges > Boring
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Sponges > Encrusting
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Sponges > Erect
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Biodiversity
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral cover
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Habitats
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard coral cover
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard coral cover Dead percentage
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard coral cover Live percentage
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Octocoral cover
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Rugosity
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Census > Population density
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Plants > Seagrass
Environmental Monitoring
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > St. Thomas > St. Thomas (18N064W0033)
OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Leeward Islands > St. Thomas (18N064W0033)
NCCOS' Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) is working closely with a number of divisions in the USVI DPNR (e.g., Divisions of Fish and Wildlife and Coastal Zone Management), the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to develop the baseline characterization of chemical contamination, toxicity, and the marine resources in the St. Thomas East End Reserve (STEER) in St. Thomas, USVI. The STEER contains extensive mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs. Within the watershed, however, are a large active landfill, numerous marinas, various commercial/industrial activities, an EPA Superfund Site, resorts, and several residential areas served by individual septic systems. This baseline assessment will provide managers with critical information needed to help preserve and restore habitats, including a number of nursery areas within the STEER that are important to commercial and recreational fisheries. As part of the characterization, a field survey was conducted in June 2012 to conduct a biological assessment of fish communities and benthic habitats within the STEER and at select hardbottom locations adjacent to STEER. The basis for this work was 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 were stratified to select sampling stations. Sites were randomly selected within strata to ensure coverage of the entire study region. The habitat stratification was divided into three major habitat types: hardbottom which includes reef, pavement, etc. inside STEER; softbottom which consists of sand and seagrass, and mangrove. In addition, two harbottom areas outside STEER of interest to STEER's Core Team were included as a separate stratum. Using standardized protocols of NOAA's Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Project, the fish and benthic habitat survey was conducted by two scientific divers. During each dive one diver quantified the species and size of fish within a 25 x 4 m transect while a second diver characterized the habitat and invertebrate community.
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39573
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/37207
northlimit=18.326;
eastlimit=-64.818;
southlimit=18.295;
westlimit=-64.883;
start=2012-06-12;
end=2012-06-22;
None
2012-11-14