Title:
CRED REA Line Point Intercept Surveys of Benthic Parameter Assessments at Rose Atoll, 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 3-5 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, 9 REA sites were surveyed at Rose Atoll 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 19 meters.
Benthic cover parameters observed:
Year Region_List Island BenthicName
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavement/Coralline algae
2010 SAMOA Rose Porolithon craspedium
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavement/Turf
2010 SAMOA Rose Halimeda sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Montipora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Microdictyon setchellianum
2010 SAMOA Rose Pocillopora meandrina
2010 SAMOA Rose Dead/coralline algae
2010 SAMOA Rose Porites sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Cyanobacteria
2010 SAMOA Rose Sand
2010 SAMOA Rose Montastrea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Acropora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Sand/tube worm
2010 SAMOA Rose Astreopora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Leptastrea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Caulerpa cupressoides
2010 SAMOA Rose Pocillopora eydouxi
2010 SAMOA Rose Dead/Turf algae
2010 SAMOA Rose Dictyosphaeria versluysii
2010 SAMOA Rose Montastrea curta
2010 SAMOA Rose Rubble/coralline algae
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavona sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Lobophora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Sinularia sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Acanthastrea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Favia stelligera
2010 SAMOA Rose Rubble/turfalgae
2010 SAMOA Rose Halimeda fragilis
2010 SAMOA Rose Fungia sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Cyphastrea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Valonia fastigiata
2010 SAMOA Rose Lobophyton sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Sponge
2010 SAMOA Rose Hydnophora exesa
2010 SAMOA Rose Stylocoeniella armata
2010 SAMOA Rose Peyssonnelia sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Bryopsis pennata
2010 SAMOA Rose Sand/Cyanobacteria
2010 SAMOA Rose Halimeda distorta
2010 SAMOA Rose Montipora angulata
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavona duerdeni
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavona chiriquiensis
2010 SAMOA Rose Coscinaraea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Leptastrea purpurea
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavona varians
2010 SAMOA Rose Pocillopora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Dictyota acutiloba
2010 SAMOA Rose Montipora plating