BioSearch is a volunteer monitoring program targeting recreational divers and boaters and designed to gather information about occurrences of large or rare vertebrates and unusual environmental events.
To improve understanding of occurrences of rare species such as cetacean, sea turtles, sharks and rays in the waters of the CNMI.
Original program included focus on diver statistics, which has been dropped in the current program. The program includes observations collected by divers during dives and records from boat captains collected from diver descriptions or from surface based sightings.
ground condition
Data set is not for us in litigation. While efforts have been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the state of the art, CRMO cannot assume liability for any damages or misrepresentations caused by any inaccuracies in the data, or as a result of the data to be used on a particular system. CRMO makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.
PO Box 10007
This work was funded in part by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.
Observations have been subjected to initial checks during data entry and have been proofed for consistency between usage species and place names.
The quantity of data filled out by boat log sitings versus divelogs differs.
Not all fields are filled in by all observers. The quantity of data filled out by boat log sitings versus divelogs differs.
Geographical positions determined by site names
Estimated based on most dive sites having specific entry points and 300 m being a conservative estimate of divers' ranges.
Depths determined by Depth gauges
Assumed accuracy of commercial depth gauges.
Volunteer observers provided filled out forms and submitted them to the program Data were entered into a spreadsheet and original entries were verified with observers in cases where observations were called into question by data managers.
Upon request, data can be provided in alternative digital formats or hard copy.
