CRED Towed-Diver Benthic Characterization Surveys at Kaula Rock, Main Hawaiian Islands in 2006

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Metadata:


Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Publication_Date: 20080810
Title:
CRED Towed-Diver Benthic Characterization Surveys at Kaula Rock, Main Hawaiian Islands in 2006
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: spreadsheet
Online_Linkage:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ecosystems/coral-reefs-pacific
Description:
Abstract:
To support NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) long-term goals for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, towed-diver surveys (aka. towboard surveys) were conducted by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) as part of biennial Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruises. 3 towboard surveys (4.0920 km in length), were conducted at Kaula Rock during the Main Hawaiian Islands RAMP Cruise HI0610 from July 27 - August 20 2006. Towboard surveys are a good method for obtaining a general description of large reef areas, assessing the status of low-density populations of large-bodied reef fish, large-scale disturbances (e.g., bleaching), general distribution and abundance patterns of macro-invertebrates (e.g., COT, giant clams), and for assessing trends in these populations and metrics. A pair of scuba divers (1 fish and 1 benthic diver) are towed 60 m behind a small survey launch at a speed of 1-2 knots and a depth of approximately 15m. Each survey is 50 min long, covers about 2 km of habitat, and is divided into ten 5-minute survey segments. The fish diver records, to the lowest possible taxon, all large-bodied reef fishes (>50cmTL) seen within 5m either side and 10m in front of the towboard. Length of each individual is estimated to the nearest cm. The fish towboard is also outfitted with a forward-facing digital video camera to record the survey swath. The benthic diver records percent cover of coral and macroalgae, estimates benthic habitat type and complexity, and censuses a suite of benthic macroinvertebrates including Crown of Thorns sea stars and sea urchins. The benthic towboard is equipped with a downward-facing digital still camera which images the benthos at 15 second intervals. These images are analyzed for percent cover of coral, algae, and other benthic components. Both towboards are equipped with SEABIRD SBE-39 temperature/depth sensors set to record at 5 second intervals. Latitude and longitude of each survey track is recorded at 15 second intervals using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver onboard the tow boat. A layback algorithm is applied to more accurately map the position of the divers with respect to the reef environment. This algorithm calculates the position of the divers based on the position of the tow boat taking into account the length of the tow rope, the depth of the divers, and the curvature of the survey track. This metadata applies to the benthic characterization observations.
Purpose:
Part of a long-term monitoring program at biennial intervals which documents the state of the reefs.
Supplemental_Information:
The benthic characterization observation data includes benthic composition, complexity estimations, observed macro-invertebrates, and observed man-made objects. Classification of habitat complexity was recorded in six categories: low (L), medium-low (ML), medium (M), medium-high (MH), high (H), and very high (VH). Benthic cover was estimated for four different types of substrate: hard substrate/pavement, sand, rubble, and live hard (scleractinian) coral. The time of the benthic digital photos were set to the GMT time. There were approximately 200 pictures of each 50-minute towed survey track. The resolution at "Draft" quality (the lowest) is 72 pixels/inch. The resolution at "Best" quality (the highest) is 266 pixels/inch. The naming convention of benthic photos is ***MMDDYY_X_###.JPG, where *** is 3 letters abbreviation of island/bank surveyed, MMDDYY is the local date of towboard survey, X is the Xth dive on the day of MMDDYY, and ### is the sequence number of the pictures taken at the Xth dive. For example, JAR032106_3_108.JPG means the picture was the 108th picture taken at 3rd dive on March 21, 2006 at Jarvis Island.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 20060810
Ending_Date: 20060810
Currentness_Reference: Ground condition
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: asNeeded
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -160.5452167
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -160.54365
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 21.65516667
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 21.65276667
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: NCEI Geoportal Filter
Theme_Keyword: CoRIS_Metadata
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CRCP Project
Theme_Keyword:
Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP): Biennial monitoring for the U.S. Pacific Islands and Atolls
Theme_Keyword: 1221
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: Marine Ecosystem
Theme_Keyword: Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP)
Theme_Keyword: Coral Reef
Theme_Keyword: Towed Diver Surveys
Theme_Keyword: Benthic Habitats
Theme_Keyword: Main Hawaiian Islands
Theme_Keyword: Kaula Rock
Theme_Keyword: HI0610
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology > Habitats
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
Theme_Keyword: Numeric Data Sets > Biology
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: biota
Theme_Keyword: 002
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: The United States
Place_Keyword: Main Hawaiian Islands
Place_Keyword: Kaula Rock
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Place Thesaurus
Place_Keyword:
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Niihau Island > Kaula Island (21N160W0003)
Place_Keyword:
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Kauai > Kaula Island (21N160W0003)
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Region
Place_Keyword: MHI
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
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: NOAA IRC
Address: NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
Address: 1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
City: Honolulu
State_or_Province: HI
Postal_Code: 96818
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 808 725-5360
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 808 725-5429
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
Data_Set_Credit:
Rusty Brainard and Jake Asher, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Sciences Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
Security_Information:
Security_Classification_System: Not applicable
Security_Classification: Unclassified
Security_Handling_Description: Not applicable
Native_Data_Set_Environment: Oracle

Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
Observations were made by the divers who are experts in coral reef ecologist. Surveying in this habitat will greatly depend on the current, wave conditions and field scheduling. The towed-diver survey is conducted one time per site per survey year; it is not replicated. Divers may change from year to year and by location.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
The same data collection protocols were used at each island/bank surveyed.
Completeness_Report:
The towed-diver surveys are completed in forereef, backreef, and lagoon habitats. Considering that the towed-divers are covering ~200 m during each 5-min time frame of a 50-minute survey, benthic coverage calculations are broad estimates. These data can be used to see large differences but can not be process to a fine scale.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
Although resource grade GPS units were used and a layback model was applied to the survey tracks, the exact survey positions were rarely marked and little effort was made to revisit exact same tracks.
Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 1
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: Instrument parameters
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report: Dive computer and SCUBA depth gauge
Quantitative_Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 0.3
Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: Instrument parameters
Lineage:
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Benthic towed-diver surveys involve a SCUBA diver who maintains approximately 1 meter above the bottom and is towed 60 m behind a boat at a constant speed (~1.5 knots). The diver maneuvers a towboard equipped with a downward facing still camera that is programmed to take photographs of the benthos at every 15 seconds as well as a SBE39 depth/temperature recorder which records the temperature and depth every 5 seconds. The towboard survey is typically 50 min long and covers about 2 km of habitat, depending on the depth profile of the divers. The survey is divided into 5 min segments. During the survey, the benthic diver records benthic composition, complexity estimations, observed macro-invertebrates, and observed man-made objects.
Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Geographic:
Latitude_Resolution: 0.0001
Longitude_Resolution: 0.0001
Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal Degrees
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84)
Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80 (GRS80)
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 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

Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Contact_Person: CRED data management team
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: NOAA IRC
Address: NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
Address: 1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
City: Honolulu
State_or_Province: HI
Postal_Code: 96818
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 808 725-5360
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 808 725-5429
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
Resource_Description: Offline Data
Distribution_Liability:
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.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: XLS (Microsoft Excel worksheet)
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Offline_Option:
Offline_Media: CDROM, or email
Recording_Format: ISO 9660
Fees: None if receiving the data online
Custom_Order_Process: Contact CRED data management team for information
Technical_Prerequisites: Contact CRED data management team for information

Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20190526
Metadata_Review_Date: 20100408
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: NOAA IRC
Address: NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
Address: 1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
City: Honolulu
State_or_Province: HI
Postal_Code: 96818
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 808 725-5360
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 808 725-5429
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
Metadata_Standard_Name: Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

CoRIS:
CoRIS_ID: 20100408045606
CoRIS_Children: None
CoRIS_Beginning_Date: 20060810
CoRIS_Ending_Date: 20060810
CoRIS_Metadata_Link:
https://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/cred_towboard_benthic_kaula_rock_2006.html
CoRIS_Tracking_ID: 4887

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