Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
20120305
CRED REA Line Point Intercept Surveys of Benthic Parameter Assessments at Rose Atoll, American Samoa in 2010
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 3-5 March 2010, line point intercept (LPI) surveys of benthic parameter assessments were conducted, as a part of Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA), during the Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI1001 in the American Samoa at biennial intervals by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). During the cruise, 9 REA sites were surveyed at Rose Atoll 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 25M transects were surveyed with a 5M inter-transect region between the end of Transect 1 and the start of Transect 2. The LPI diver determines the benthic composition at 20cm 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.
These data allow 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 19 meters.
Benthic cover parameters observed:
Year Region_List Island BenthicName
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavement/Coralline algae
2010 SAMOA Rose Porolithon craspedium
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavement/Turf
2010 SAMOA Rose Halimeda sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Montipora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Microdictyon setchellianum
2010 SAMOA Rose Pocillopora meandrina
2010 SAMOA Rose Dead/coralline algae
2010 SAMOA Rose Porites sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Cyanobacteria
2010 SAMOA Rose Sand
2010 SAMOA Rose Montastrea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Acropora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Sand/tube worm
2010 SAMOA Rose Astreopora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Leptastrea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Caulerpa cupressoides
2010 SAMOA Rose Pocillopora eydouxi
2010 SAMOA Rose Dead/Turf algae
2010 SAMOA Rose Dictyosphaeria versluysii
2010 SAMOA Rose Montastrea curta
2010 SAMOA Rose Rubble/coralline algae
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavona sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Lobophora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Sinularia sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Acanthastrea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Favia stelligera
2010 SAMOA Rose Rubble/turfalgae
2010 SAMOA Rose Halimeda fragilis
2010 SAMOA Rose Fungia sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Cyphastrea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Valonia fastigiata
2010 SAMOA Rose Lobophyton sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Sponge
2010 SAMOA Rose Hydnophora exesa
2010 SAMOA Rose Stylocoeniella armata
2010 SAMOA Rose Peyssonnelia sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Bryopsis pennata
2010 SAMOA Rose Sand/Cyanobacteria
2010 SAMOA Rose Halimeda distorta
2010 SAMOA Rose Montipora angulata
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavona duerdeni
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavona chiriquiensis
2010 SAMOA Rose Coscinaraea sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Leptastrea purpurea
2010 SAMOA Rose Pavona varians
2010 SAMOA Rose Pocillopora sp
2010 SAMOA Rose Dictyota acutiloba
2010 SAMOA Rose Montipora plating
20100303
20100305
Ground condition
asNeeded
-168.1759289
-168.1337054
-14.526119
-14.56409447
NCEI Geoportal FilterCoRIS_MetadataCRCP ProjectPacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP): Biennial monitoring for the U.S. Pacific Islands and Atolls1221
None
Marine Ecosystem
Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP)
Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA)
Coral Reef Ecosystem
Benthic Cover
American Samoa
Rose Atoll
HI1001
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
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
Numeric Data Sets > Biology
ISO 19115 Topic Category
biota
002
None
South Pacific
Rose Atoll
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Rose Atoll (14S168W0001)
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Rose Atoll (14S168W0001)
CoRIS Region
AmSam
Data are available two years following data collection date
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
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), Pacific Islands Fisheries Sciences Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
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 25M 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 resurvey 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
Local surface
1
meters
Explicit Depth Coordinate Included with Horizontal Coordinates
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
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)
CDROM, 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
20100916
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
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
FGDC-STD-001-1998
20100916020050
None
20100303
20100305
https://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/cred_rea_benthiclpi_rose_2010.html
4971