Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
20110718
CRED Rapid Ecological Assessment Line Point Intercept Survey of
Benthic Parameter Assessments at Asuncion, Marianas in 2011
spreadsheet
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ecosystems/coral-reefs-pacific
Line point intercept (LPI) surveys and benthic composition
assessments were conducted during Rapid Ecological Assessments
(REA) as part of the Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring
Program (RAMP) cruise HA1101 in Marianas from 20110407 to
20110509. Surveys are conducted by the Coral Reef Ecosystem
Division (CRED) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science
Center (PIFSC) at biennial intervals to support a long-term NOAA
Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) for sustainable
management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems. During the
cruise, 6 REA sites were surveyed at Asuncion in Marianas.
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 25 m transects were surveyed
with a 5 m inter-transect region between the end of Transect 1
and the start of Transect 2. The LPI diver determines the
benthic composition at 20 cm 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. The data allows 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.
Part of a long-term monitoring program at biennial intervals
which documents the state of the reefs.
Maximum depth was 15 meters. Benthic components observed:
Astreopora, Caulerpa, Cyanobacteria, Cyphastrea, Dead coral,
Dictyota, Favia, Favites, Galaxea, Goniastrea, Halimeda,
Heliopora, Isopora, Jania, Leptastrea, Lobophora, Lobophyllia,
Lobophyton, Millepora, Montastrea, Montipora, Neomeris,
Oulophyllia, Padina, Palythoa, Pavement, Pavona, Peyssonnelia,
Platygyra, Plerogyra, Pocillopora, Porifera, Porites,
Psammocora, Rubble, Sand, Sarcophyton, Scapophyllia, Stylophora,
Tydemania, Zoanthus
20110414
20110415
Ground Condition
asNeeded
145.38835804
145.47166
19.79861
19.6758593
NCEI Geoportal FilterCoRIS_MetadataCRCP ProjectC204 Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP): Biennial monitoring for the US Pacific Islands and Atolls1221
None
Marine Ecosystem
Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP)
Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA)
Coral Reef Ecosystem
Benthic Cover
Marianas
Asuncion
HA1101
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
Numeric Data Sets > Biology
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies
ISO 19115 Topic Category
biota
002
None
Marianas
Asuncion
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Asuncion Island > Asuncion Island (19N145E0001)
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Asuncion Island > Asuncion Island (19N145E0001)
CoRIS Region
CNMI
None
Please cite CRED when using data. Coral Reef Ecosystem Division,
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine
Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
mailing and physical address
NOAA IRC
NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
808 725-5360
808 725-5429
nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
e-mail preferred
Rodney Withall, Ryan Okano, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED),
Pacific Islands Fisheries Sciences Center, NOAA National Marine
Fisheries Service
Not applicable
Unclassified
Not applicable
Oracle
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.
The same methods of data collection were used at each of the sites
surveyed at this location, and were conducted by the same scientist.
The survey sites were selected to be representative of the
dominant habitats at this reef system.
GPS Unit
1
Instrument parameters
Dive computer and SCUBA depth gauge
0.3
Instrument parameters
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 25 m 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 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 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
re-survey 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.
Unknown
0.0001
0.0001
Decimal Degrees
World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84)
Geodetic Reference System 80 (GRS80)
6378137
298.2572236
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Data Manager
mailing and physical address
NOAA IRC
NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
808 725-5360
808 725-5429
nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
e-mail preferred
Offline Data
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.
xls (Microsoft Excel worksheet) or csv (comma-separated
values)
CD-ROM or email
ISO 9660
None if receiving the data online
Contact CRED data management team for information
Contact CRED data management team for information
20190526
20110720
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
mailing and physical address
NOAA IRC
NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
808 725-5360
808 725-5429
nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
e-mail preferred
FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
FGDC-STD-001-1998
20110720011050
None
20110414
20110415
https://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/asuncionbenthiclpimetadata2011.html
6275