Title:
CRED REA Reef Fish Assessment Survey at Tau Island, American Samoa in 2008
Abstract:
To support a long-term NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, from 18 February - 19 March 2008, reef fish assessment surveys were conducted, as a part of Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA), during the Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0802 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, 12 REA sites were surveyed at Tau Island in the American Samoa.
At the specific REA sites, fish biologists along with coral biologists, algal biologists and marine invertebrate zoologist entered the water and conducted a fine-scale (~300 m2) and high degree of taxonomic resolution REA survey to assess and monitor species composition, abundance, percent cover, size distribution, diversity, and general health of fish, corals, macro-invertebrates, and algae in shallow-water (< 35 m) habitats.
Reef fish assessment surveys were focused on cataloging the diversity (species richness), abundance (numeric density [# fish 100 m-2] and biomass density [kg 100 m-2]) of diurnally active reef fish assemblages. Three complementary noninvasive underwater survey methods were used, including belt-transect, stationary point count, and roving-diver surveys. For all methods, fish were identified at the species level, when possible, and assigned to a size bin ranging from 1 to 200 cm based on a visual estimate of total fish length.
Belt-transect (BLT) surveys were used to quantify the entire diurnal fish community (all size classes). In belt-transect surveys, two fish biologists swam side-by-side along three consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines. The BLT team swam each transect two times. During the initial swim-out, each fish diver recorded all fish larger than 20 cm observed within a 4-m wide belt perpendicular to their respective side of the transect (200 m2 area per line, 100 m2 per diver). On the return swim, each fish diver recorded all fish less than 20 cm observed within a 2-m wide belt (100 m2 area per line, 50 m2 per diver). The survey of large fish took approximately 5 min to complete while the survey of smaller fish took about 10 min to complete. All reef-associated fish, including those in the water column (including planktivores), were counted. Any coastal pelagic species (e.g., clupeids [sardines], belonids [beakfish], antherinids [silversides]) seen near the surface were not recorded.
The stationary point count (SPC) method were used to quantify larger, more mobile reef fish species that can be missed on belt-transect surveys. In stationary point count survey, a fish biologist swam approximately 15 m away from a transect line concurrently being surveyed by the other two BLT fish biologists. The SPC biologist then recorded all fish greater than 25 cm in length that passed within a visually estimated 20-m diameter cylinder centered on the diver's fixed position (10-m radius, total area = 314 m2). The survey time for each stationary point count survey was 5 min and a total of four stationary point count surveys were conducted at each REA site.
Roving-diver surveys were followed belt-transect and stationary point count surveys. As diver bottom time permitted, the fish assessment team conducted random swim surveys throughout the REA site area, recording, to the species level or the lowest recognizable taxon, the presence of reef fish not encountered during previous methods.
Supplemental_Information:
Maximum depth was 24 meters.
Fish species observed:
Year Region Island Species TaxonName
2008 SAMOA Tau ACAC Acanthurus achilles
2008 SAMOA Tau ACBL Acanthurus blochii
2008 SAMOA Tau ACGU Acanthurus guttatus
2008 SAMOA Tau ACLI Acanthurus lineatus
2008 SAMOA Tau ACMA Acanthurus maculiceps
2008 SAMOA Tau ACNC Acanthurus nigricans
2008 SAMOA Tau ACNF Acanthurus nigrofuscus
2008 SAMOA Tau ACOL Acanthurus olivaceus
2008 SAMOA Tau ACPY Acanthurus pyroferus
2008 SAMOA Tau ACSP Acanthurus sp
2008 SAMOA Tau ACTH Acanthurus thompsoni
2008 SAMOA Tau ACTR Acanthurus triostegus
2008 SAMOA Tau AMSC Amanses scopas
2008 SAMOA Tau AMBI Amblycirrhitus bimacula
2008 SAMOA Tau AMCH Amphiprion chrysopterus
2008 SAMOA Tau ANCA Anampses caeruleopunctatus
2008 SAMOA Tau ANMG Anampses meleagrides
2008 SAMOA Tau ANTW Anampses twistii
2008 SAMOA Tau APFU Aphareus furca
2008 SAMOA Tau APSP Apogon sp
2008 SAMOA Tau BAUN Balistapus undulatus
2008 SAMOA Tau BACO Balistoides conspicillum
2008 SAMOA Tau BASP Balistoides sp
2008 SAMOA Tau BLEN Blenniidae sp
2008 SAMOA Tau BOAX Bodianus axillaris
2008 SAMOA Tau BOLO Bodianus loxozonus
2008 SAMOA Tau CACA Calotomus carolinus
2008 SAMOA Tau CAPA Cantherhines pardalis
2008 SAMOA Tau CAME Caranx melampygus
2008 SAMOA Tau CEBI Centropyge bispinosa
2008 SAMOA Tau CEFL Centropyge flavissima
2008 SAMOA Tau CEHE Centropyge heraldi
2008 SAMOA Tau CELO Centropyge loricula
2008 SAMOA Tau CEAR Cephalopholis argus
2008 SAMOA Tau CEUR Cephalopholis urodeta
2008 SAMOA Tau CHCI Chaetodon citrinellus
2008 SAMOA Tau CHEP Chaetodon ephippium
2008 SAMOA Tau CHLI Chaetodon lineolatus
2008 SAMOA Tau CHLU Chaetodon lunula
2008 SAMOA Tau CHOR Chaetodon ornatissimus
2008 SAMOA Tau CHPW Chaetodon pelewensis
2008 SAMOA Tau CHQU Chaetodon quadrimaculatus
2008 SAMOA Tau CHRA Chaetodon rafflesii
2008 SAMOA Tau CHRE Chaetodon reticulatus
2008 SAMOA Tau CHUN Chaetodon unimaculatus
2008 SAMOA Tau CHVG Chaetodon vagabundus
2008 SAMOA Tau CHOX Cheilinus oxycephalus
2008 SAMOA Tau CHFN Chlorurus frontalis
2008 SAMOA Tau CHAC Chromis acares
2008 SAMOA Tau CHAG Chromis agilis
2008 SAMOA Tau CHIO Chromis iomelas
2008 SAMOA Tau CHMA Chromis margaritifer
2008 SAMOA Tau CHVA Chromis vanderbilti
2008 SAMOA Tau CHXA Chromis xanthura
2008 SAMOA Tau CHBR Chrysiptera brownriggii
2008 SAMOA Tau CHTA Chrysiptera taupou
2008 SAMOA Tau CIPU Cirrhilabrus punctatus
2008 SAMOA Tau CILB Cirrhilabrus sp
2008 SAMOA Tau CIPO Cirripectes polyzona
2008 SAMOA Tau CIST Cirripectes stigmaticus
2008 SAMOA Tau CIVR Cirripectes variolosus
2008 SAMOA Tau COAY Coris aygula
2008 SAMOA Tau COGA Coris gaimard
2008 SAMOA Tau CTBI Ctenochaetus binotatus
2008 SAMOA Tau CTCY Ctenochaetus cyanocheilus
2008 SAMOA Tau CTHA Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis
2008 SAMOA Tau CTSR Ctenochaetus striatus
2008 SAMOA Tau DARE Dascyllus reticulatus
2008 SAMOA Tau ECBC Ecsenius bicolor
2008 SAMOA Tau EPIN Epibulus insidiator
2008 SAMOA Tau EPHE Epinephelus hexagonatus
2008 SAMOA Tau EPME Epinephelus merra
2008 SAMOA Tau FOFL Forcipiger flavissimus
2008 SAMOA Tau FOLO Forcipiger longirostris
2008 SAMOA Tau GNAU Gnathodentex aureolineatus
2008 SAMOA Tau GOVA Gomphosus varius
2008 SAMOA Tau GRAL Gracila albomarginata
2008 SAMOA Tau GYME Gymnothorax meleagris
2008 SAMOA Tau HAHO Halichoeres hortulanus
2008 SAMOA Tau HAMT Halichoeres margaritaceus
2008 SAMOA Tau HAMA Halichoeres marginatus
2008 SAMOA Tau HAOR Halichoeres ornatissimus
2008 SAMOA Tau HEFA Hemigymnus fasciatus
2008 SAMOA Tau HECH Heniochus chrysostomus
2008 SAMOA Tau HEMO Heniochus monoceros
2008 SAMOA Tau HEVA Heniochus varius
2008 SAMOA Tau CHUB Kyphosidae sp
2008 SAMOA Tau KYCI Kyphosus cinerascens
2008 SAMOA Tau LABI Labroides bicolor
2008 SAMOA Tau LADI Labroides dimidiatus
2008 SAMOA Tau LARU Labroides rubrolabiatus
2008 SAMOA Tau LAXA Labropsis xanthonota
2008 SAMOA Tau LUBO Lutjanus bohar
2008 SAMOA Tau LUFU Lutjanus fulvus
2008 SAMOA Tau LUKA Lutjanus kasmira
2008 SAMOA Tau LUMO Lutjanus monostigma
2008 SAMOA Tau MAMA Macolor macularis
2008 SAMOA Tau MANI Macolor niger
2008 SAMOA Tau MAME Macropharyngodon meleagris
2008 SAMOA Tau MALA Malacanthus latovittatus
2008 SAMOA Tau MENI Melichthys niger
2008 SAMOA Tau MEVI Melichthys vidua
2008 SAMOA Tau MOGR Monotaxis grandoculis
2008 SAMOA Tau MYBE Myripristis berndti
2008 SAMOA Tau MYKU Myripristis kuntee
2008 SAMOA Tau NALI Naso lituratus
2008 SAMOA Tau NAUN Naso unicornis
2008 SAMOA Tau NEMA Nemateleotris magnifica
2008 SAMOA Tau NEOP Neoniphon opercularis
2008 SAMOA Tau NESA Neoniphon sammara
2008 SAMOA Tau NONE no individuals seen
2008 SAMOA Tau NOTA Novaculichthys taeniourus
2008 SAMOA Tau OSME Ostracion meleagris
2008 SAMOA Tau OXDI Oxycheilinus digramma
2008 SAMOA Tau OXUN Oxycheilinus unifasciatus
2008 SAMOA Tau PAAR Paracirrhites arcatus
2008 SAMOA Tau PAFO Paracirrhites forsteri
2008 SAMOA Tau PAHE Paracirrhites hemistictus
2008 SAMOA Tau PACL Parapercis clathrata
2008 SAMOA Tau PABA Parupeneus barberinus
2008 SAMOA Tau PACR Parupeneus crassilabris
2008 SAMOA Tau PACY Parupeneus cyclostomus
2008 SAMOA Tau PAIN Parupeneus insularis
2008 SAMOA Tau PAMU Parupeneus multifasciatus
2008 SAMOA Tau PEOU Pempheris oualensis
2008 SAMOA Tau PEJA Pervagor janthinosoma
2008 SAMOA Tau PEME Pervegor melanocephalus
2008 SAMOA Tau PLTA Plagiotremus tapeinosoma
2008 SAMOA Tau PLVI Plectorhinchus vittatus
2008 SAMOA Tau PLDI Plectroglyphidodon dickii
2008 SAMOA Tau PLJO Plectroglyphidodon johnstonianus
2008 SAMOA Tau PLLA Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus
2008 SAMOA Tau POIM Pomacanthus imperator
2008 SAMOA Tau POPA Pomacentrus pavo
2008 SAMOA Tau POVA Pomacentrus vaiuli
2008 SAMOA Tau PORI Pomachromis richardsoni
2008 SAMOA Tau PSPA Pseudanthias pascalus
2008 SAMOA Tau PSFL Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus
2008 SAMOA Tau PSEV Pseudocheilinus evanidus
2008 SAMOA Tau PSHE Pseudocheilinus hexataenia
2008 SAMOA Tau PSOC Pseudocheilinus octotaenia
2008 SAMOA Tau PSTE Pseudocheilinus tetrataenia
2008 SAMOA Tau PSMO Pseudodax moluccanus
2008 SAMOA Tau PTEV Ptereleotris evides
2008 SAMOA Tau PTZE Ptereleotris zebra
2008 SAMOA Tau PTTI Pterocaesio tile
2008 SAMOA Tau PYDI Pygoplites diacanthus
2008 SAMOA Tau RHRE Rhinecanthus rectangulus
2008 SAMOA Tau SACA Sargocentron caudimaculatum
2008 SAMOA Tau SAMI Sargocentron microstoma
2008 SAMOA Tau SASP Sargocentron spiniferum
2008 SAMOA Tau SATI Sargocentron tiere
2008 SAMOA Tau SCFO Scarus forsteni
2008 SAMOA Tau SCGL Scarus globiceps
2008 SAMOA Tau SCOV Scarus oviceps
2008 SAMOA Tau SCPS Scarus psittacus
2008 SAMOA Tau SCRU Scarus rubroviolaceus
2008 SAMOA Tau SCSP Scarus sp
2008 SAMOA Tau SCPP Scorpaenopsis sp
2008 SAMOA Tau STFA Stegastes fasciolatus
2008 SAMOA Tau SUBU Sufflamen bursa
2008 SAMOA Tau SUCH Sufflamen chrysopterum
2008 SAMOA Tau THLU Thalassoma lutescens
2008 SAMOA Tau THPU Thalassoma purpureum
2008 SAMOA Tau THQU Thalassoma quinquevittatum
2008 SAMOA Tau THTR Thalassoma trilobatum
2008 SAMOA Tau FISH Un-id fish sp
2008 SAMOA Tau VAST Valenciennea strigata
2008 SAMOA Tau VALO Variola louti
2008 SAMOA Tau ZACO Zanclus cornutus
2008 SAMOA Tau ZESC Zebrasoma scopas
2008 SAMOA Tau ZEVE Zebrasoma veliferum