Online Links:
filename comment DAR West Hawaii Fish Surveys.xls MS Excel with 3 spreadsheets DAR WHAP Fish Surveys Notes.doc documentation
Note: The DAR administrator has determined that DAR will distribute all raw WHAP-survey data which is more than 5 years old, but only summarized versions of newer data.
The MS Excel data file contains 3 worksheets: (1) Raw Transect Data (1999-2000)- raw data from 1999 and 2000 (all information given broken down by transect and by observer; and including size or age-class information); (2) Summary Transect Data (2001-5)- summarized data from 1999 and 2000 (data pooled by site, no information given on transect. Observer, age-phase or size class); (3) 10min Free-Swim Data - being all data from the 10 minute presence-absence survey of the area surrounding the transects. Important point-- only fishes NOT observed on transects are included in the presence-absence survey worksheet (so need to pool free-swim and transect data to get complete presence-absence list).
II. NODC Archive Files Directory: ../../data/nodc
filename comment sites.jpg WHAPFishSurveysNotes.doc copy of original doc file (see ../original) WHAPFishSurveysNotes.htm redundant HTML copy WHAPFishSurveysNotes.txt redundant ASCII text copy WHawaiiFishSurveys.xls copy of original xls file (see ../original); sheets dumped as Comma Separated Variable (CSV) files WHawaiiFishSurveys_10MinFreeSwimData.csv 10min Free-Swim Data WHawaiiFishSurveys_RawTransectData1999_2000.csv Raw Transect Data (1999-2000) WHawaiiFishSurveys_SummaryTransectData2001_2005.csv Summary Transect Data (2001-5)
Division of Aquatic Resources, Division of Lands and Natural Resources, State of Hawaii
Support sustainability of ecosystem resources
Each survey of a site generally involves 4 divers (2 pairs), who between them conduct (i) 'WHAP' surveys of the four 25m *4m permanently-located transects per site; and (ii) 10-minute freeswims (presence-absence swims).
The WHAP fish protocol is based on fixed transects which can be closely surveyed for targeted species of all size classes, and where variability among fish populations can be related to fine-scale habitat variability among transects and sites. Six stainless steel eyebolts have been permanently drilled and cemented into the bottom to establish reference locations for four permanent 25m transects at each site. For efficiency during WHAP they have been situated in an H-shaped design at each study site. A transect width of 4m is utilized based on previous sampling experience with coral reef fishes in Hawai'i. The species, size class (in 5cm slots), and in some cases phase (e.g. 'recruit') of all fishes on transects are counted by a pair of divers in each survey. Divers first lay out transect lines between end pins, then swim one rapid swim to count mobile and mid-water species and the a return swim in which divers slowly and carefully swim the transect carefully recording fishes in and around the benthos. Transect lines are taken up after all transects have been completed.
In addition to the fixed transects at each site, a 10 minute roving
free-swim survey is done by a team of two divers after the fixed
transect surveys are completed. The divers range about the areas adjacent to
transects (~5000m2) recording the presence of fish species which were not
observed on the transects.
Person who carried out this activity:
Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
- Access_Constraints: None
- Use_Constraints: Dataset credit required
NOAA makes no warranty regarding these data, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA, NESDIS, NODC and NCDDC cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data, nor as a result of the failure of these data to function on a particular system.