Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands
Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
20120720
CRED Rapid Ecological Assessment Reef Fish Survey at Ofu &
Olosega, American Samoa in 2012
spreadsheet
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ecosystems/coral-reefs-pacific
To support a long-term NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
(CRCP) for sustainable management and conservation of coral
reef ecosystems, from 20120401 to 20120426, reef fish
assessment surveys were conducted, as a part of Rapid
Ecological Assessments (REA), during the Pacific Reef
Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HA1201 in
the American Samoa region by the Coral Reef Ecosystem
Division (CRED) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries
Science Center (PIFSC). During the cruise, 30 REA sites were
surveyed at Ofu & Olosega in the American Samoa region.
At each REA site, fish biologists entered the water and
conducted a fine-scale (~700 m^2) and high degree of
taxonomic resolution REA survey to assess and monitor
species diversity, size distribution, and abundance of fish
in shallow-water hard-bottom (less than 30 m) habitats. Reef
fish assessment surveys were focused on cataloging the
diversity (species richness), abundance (numeric density)
and biomass (fish mass per unit area) of diurnally active
reef fish assemblages. The stationary point count (SPC)
method was used to quantify reef fish species. Two divers
lay out a 30 m transect line, and position themselves at the
7.5 and 22.5 meter marks. The SPC biologist then records
estimated size and abundance of all fish within a visually
estimated 15-m diameter cylinder centered on the stationary
diver (7.5-m radius, total area ~ 177m^2 per cylinder). The
diver first spends 5 minutes identifying all fish species in
the cylindrical area, then proceeds to count and estimate
size (total length) for each in a series of "instantaneous"
point counts or sweeps of the cylinder. Fish were identified
at the species level, wherever possible. All reef-associated
fish, including those in the water column, were surveyed.
The survey time for each stationary point count survey was
approximately 20 min and generally four stationary point
count surveys (two per diver) were conducted at each fish
REA site. After completing REA surveys, divers noted the
presence, at the survey site, of any unusual fish species
not counted during SPC counts, in order to facilitate
species lists per location.
Part of a long-term monitoring program which documents status
and trends of coral reef ecosystems within the United States
Pacific Territories.
Maximum depth was 28 meters.
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
Reef Fishes
Stationary Point Count (SPC) Survey
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
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census > Stationary
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census > Random swimming
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
Paula Ayotte, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED); Adel
Heenan, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED); Kevin Lino,
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED); Mark Manuel, Coral Reef
Ecosystem Division (CRED); Kaylyn McCoy, Coral Reef Ecosystem
Division (CRED); Marc Nadon, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
(CRED); Senifa Annandale, University of Hawaii at Hilo
Not applicable
Unclassified
Not applicable
Oracle
Observations at each site were made by divers who have been
trained, and met minimum standards in identifying species
present at the survey locations and in estimating size of
fishes in survey counts. However, all species
identifications are made visually, sometimes in situations
where a fish is only briefly seen. Observations, including
species identification and sizing, were periodically checked
during the expedition for consistency between divers, and
little discrepancy was noted between divers. Data is checked
after each cruise, but given the size of the data set, there
remains some possibility of typographical or other errors.
The same methods of data collection were used at each of the
sites surveyed at this location, and were conducted by the same
scientists. Periodic examination of the data through the duration
of the trip showed no clear indication of diver bias or other
discrepancies.
The survey sites were randomly selected using a systematic
process based on available habitat and bathymetric habitats.
However, although efforts are made to include broad spatial
coverage, weather conditions and other environmental
constraints may have prevented the team from surveying exposed
reef areas.
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 reef fish communities. The
surveys were conducted by teams of two fish divers
following a random stratified design. Sites were randomly
chosen within three depth strata for hard-bottom or
unknown reef areas. These areas included forereef slopes
of individual islands at depths up to 30 meters,
lagoonal-type patch reefs and offshore oceanic banks.
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, if
any.
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
20120807
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
20120807040938
None
20120424
20120426
https://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/cred_metadata_fish_rea_ofu_2012.html
6504