Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands
Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
20120829
CRED Rapid Ecological Assessment Line Point Intercept Survey
of Benthic Parameter Assessments at Ofu & Olosega,
American Samoa in 2012
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 HA1201 in American Samoa
from 20120401 to 20120426. Surveys are conducted by the
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) of the NOAA Pacific
Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) at periodic
intervals between one and three years to support a long-term
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) for sustainable
management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems. During
the cruise, 9 REA sites were surveyed at Ofu & Olosega
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 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 which documents the
state of the reefs.
Maximum depth was 18 meters. Benthic components observed:
Acanthastrea, Acropora, Alveopora, Astreopora, Cheilosporum,
Chlorodesmis, Cladiella, Coralline algae, Coscinaraea,
Crustose coralline algae, Cyanobacteria, Cyphastrea,
Dictyosphaeria, Echinopora, Favia, Favites, Fungia, Galaxea,
Goniastrea, Halimeda, Hydnophora, Leptastrea, Leptoria,
Leptoseris, Lobophora, Lobophyllia, Lobophyton, Montastrea,
Montipora, Oulophyllia, Pavona, Peyssonnelia, Platygyra,
Pocillopora, Porifera, Porites, Sand, Sinularia, Stylophora,
Tunicate, Turbinaria, Turf algae
20120424
20120426
Ground Condition
asNeeded
-169.68735569
-169.60390655
-14.1484
-14.19292
NCEI Geoportal FilterCoRIS_MetadataCRCP ProjectPacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Monitoring coral reef ecosystems of the US Pacific Islands and Atolls587
None
Marine Ecosystem
Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP)
Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA)
Coral Reef Ecosystem
Benthic Cover
American Samoa
Ofu & Olosega
HA1201
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
American Samoa
Ofu & Olosega
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)
CoRIS Region
AmSam
None
Please cite CRED when using data. Coral Reef Ecosystem
Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
(PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
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, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED)
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 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 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
20120830
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
20120830122052
None
20120424
20120426
https://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/cred_metadata_benthic_rea_lpi_ofu_2012.html
6546