To support a long-term NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, from 16-18 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, 8 REA sites were surveyed at Swains Island 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 Swains Montipora sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Microdictyon setchellianum 2010 SAMOA Swains Dead/Turf algae 2010 SAMOA Swains Dead/coralline algae 2010 SAMOA Swains Pocillopora meandrina 2010 SAMOA Swains Stylophora sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Pavement/Coralline algae 2010 SAMOA Swains Pavement/Turf 2010 SAMOA Swains Avrainvillea lacerata 2010 SAMOA Swains Porites sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Peyssonnelia sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Pocillopora eydouxi 2010 SAMOA Swains Lobophora variegata 2010 SAMOA Swains Porites rus 2010 SAMOA Swains Dictyosphaeria versluysii 2010 SAMOA Swains Dead/Cyanobacteria 2010 SAMOA Swains Pavona varians 2010 SAMOA Swains Stylophora sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Pocillopora sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Cyanobacteria 2010 SAMOA Swains Pavona sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Rubble/coralline algae 2010 SAMOA Swains Dictyosphaeria sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Dictyota acutiloba 2010 SAMOA Swains Pseudobryopsis oahuensis 2010 SAMOA Swains Caulerpa sertularioides 2010 SAMOA Swains Galaxaura sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Fungia sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Favia stelligera 2010 SAMOA Swains Psammocora sp 2010 SAMOA Swains Pavement/cyanobacteria
Ground condition
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
NOAA IRC
NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
e-mail preferred
Rodney Withall, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Sciences Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
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. Positional_Accuracy:
GPS unit
Instrument parameters
Dive computer and SCUBA depth gauge
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.
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.
Contact CRED data management team for information
