CRED REA Line Point Intercept Surveys of Benthic Parameter Assessments at Ofu and Olosega Island, American Samoa in 2010

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Title:
CRED REA Line Point Intercept Surveys of Benthic Parameter Assessments at Ofu and Olosega Island, American Samoa in 2010
Abstract:
To support a long-term NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, from 10, 11, 14, 19 March 2010, line point intercept (LPI) surveys of benthic parameter assessments were conducted, as a part of Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA), during the Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI1001 in the American Samoa at biennial intervals by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). During the cruise, 11 REA sites were surveyed at Ofu and Olosega Island in American Samoa. Benthic biologists from NOAA's Coral Reef Ecosystem Division conducted Line Point Intercept surveys to quantitatively document the benthic cover at pre-determined long-term monitoring REA sites. Two linear 25M transects were surveyed with a 5M inter-transect region between the end of Transect 1 and the start of Transect 2. The LPI diver determines the benthic composition at 20cm intervals for a total of 125 data points per transect. All living benthic elements (e.g., coral, algae, and other invertebrates) were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible, often substituting functional group categories for turf algae and crustose coralline algae when identification in the field was extremely difficult. In cases where the substrate is bare or covered with turf algae, the substrate composition is also noted as either sand, rock, rubble, carbonate pavement, or dead coral. These data allow for the assessment and monitoring of species composition and abundance and provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of percent cover at higher taxonomic levels like functional group (live Coral, macroalgae, turf algae) or on a finer taxonomic resolution such as genus level.
Supplemental_Information:
Maximum depth was 20 meters. Benthic cover parameters observed:

Year Region_List Island BenthicName 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pavement/Coralline algae 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Montipora sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pavement/Turf 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Peyssonnelia sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Goniastrea sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Sponge 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Porites sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Porites rus 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pocillopora meandrina 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pocillopora eydouxi 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Acropora sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Astreopora sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Galaxea sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Halimeda taenicola 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Halimeda distorta 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Dead/Turf algae 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Dead/coralline algae 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Halimeda sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Platygyra sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Leptastrea sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Turbinaria sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Favia stelligera 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Montastrea sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Sand 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Leptastrea purpurea 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Hydnophora exesa 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pavement/cyanobacteria 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Echinopora lamellosa 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Porolithon craspedium 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Montastrea curta 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Oulophyllia sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Dictyosphaeria versluysii 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Chlorodesmis sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Fungia sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Halimeda micronesica 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Cyanobacteria 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pavona varians 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Favia sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Favites sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Cladiella sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Lobophora sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Millepora sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Halimeda fragilis 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Halimeda minima 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Acanthastrea sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Diploastrea heliopora 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Echinophyllia sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Psammocora sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Isopora sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Lobophyllia sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Hydnophora sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Rubble/coralline algae 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Coscinaraea columna 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Cyphastrea sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Montipora caliculata 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Sinularia sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pavona duerdeni 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pavona chiriquiensis 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Peyssonnelia boerjesenii 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pavona sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pocillopora sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Lobophyton sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Renouxia sp 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Rubble/turfalgae 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Gelidiella acerosa 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Pavona maldivensis 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Dead/Cyanobacteria 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Psammocora haimeana 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Default Value 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega non-geniculate calcified branched red algae 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Psammocora nierstraszi 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Invertebrate 2010 SAMOA Ofu & Olosega Goniastrea pectinata

  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 20120319, CRED REA Line Point Intercept Surveys of Benthic Parameter Assessments at Ofu and Olosega Island, American Samoa in 2010.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -169.696867
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -169.589923
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: -14.144999
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: -14.212963
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 10-Mar-2010
    Ending_Date: 19-Mar-2010
    Currentness_Reference: Ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: spreadsheet
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.0001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.0001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal Degrees. The horizontal datum used is World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84).
      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80 (GRS80).
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.2572236.
      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Depth_System_Definition:
      Depth_Datum_Name: Local surface
      Depth_Resolution: 1
      Depth_Distance_Units: meters
      Depth_Encoding_Method: Explicit Depth Coordinate Included with Horizontal Coordinates
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    Rodney Withall, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Sciences Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
    NOAA IRC
    Honolulu, HI
    USA

    808 725-5360 (voice)
    808 725-5429 (FAX)
    nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
    Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred

Why was the data set created?

Part of a long-term monitoring program at biennial intervals which documents the state of the reefs.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: Unknown (process 1 of 1)
    REA surveys are investigations that provide a high degree of taxonomic resolution for coral, algae, and other macroinvertebrate communities. The majority of REA surveys were conducted along the forereef slopes of individual islands at depths between 10 and 20 m. However, additional habitats including lagoonal-type patch reef and offshore oceanic banks were surveyed when they existed. During REA surveys, biological assessment teams follow highly structured protocols that are repeated at each REA site. Upon arrival at an REA site, divers entered the water and deployed two 25M transect lines which are shared with coral surveys that gather community structure, diversity, recruitment, and health status data. The sampling effort takes between 60 and 80 min to complete. The selection of REA sites was made in close consultation with Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG) and local agencies. Factors considered during REA site selection included: (1) ensuring a range of sample sites representative of the benthic and reef fish habitats around each island; (2) selecting a mixture of sites within and outside of marine protected areas; (3) selecting a mixture of both 'impacted' and 'least impacted' sites; (4) selecting some sites adjacent to local villages, and (5) selecting a number of sites that could be compared to and complement previous assessment and monitoring work as well as future coral reef monitoring proposed by CRAG and local agencies. It is important to note that access to REA sites can be limited by wave exposure, weather conditions, and other environmental factors such as currents, which can affect the ability to resurvey sites between years. Transect placement was guided by: (1) a focus on hard-bottom communities; (2) deploying lines along an isobath to the extent possible at each site, and (3) laying the transect lines into the prevailing current.
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    The benthic cover parameter observations were made by a single diver who is a benthic ecologist. The benthic cover assessment surveys are conducted one time per site per survey year; it is not replicated.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    GPS unit
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    Dive computer and SCUBA depth gauge
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    The survey sites were selected to be representative of the dominant habitats at this reef system.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    The same methods of data collection were used at each of the sites surveyed at this location, and were conducted by the same scientist.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints: Data are available two years following data collection date
Use_Constraints:
Please cite CRED when using the data. Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
    NOAA IRC
    Honolulu, HI
    USA

    808 725-5360 (voice)
    808 725-5429 (FAX)
    nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
    Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? Offline Data
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    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.
  4. How can I download or order the data?
  5. Is there some other way to get the data?
    Contact CRED data management team for information
  6. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
    Contact CRED data management team for information

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 26-May-2019
Last Reviewed: 16-Sep-2010
Metadata author:
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA IRC
Honolulu, HI
USA

808 725-5360 (voice)
808 725-5429 (FAX)
nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
Generated by mp version 2.9.48 on Fri Apr 26 11:02:19 2024