CRED Towed-Diver Benthic Characterization Survey at Ofu & Olosega, American Samoa in 2012
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Metadata:
- Identification_Information:
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- Citation:
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- Citation_Information:
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- Originator:
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Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands
Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
- Publication_Date: 20120911
- Title:
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CRED Towed-Diver Benthic Characterization Survey at Ofu &
Olosega, American Samoa in 2012
- Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: spreadsheet
- Online_Linkage:
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https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ecosystems/surveying-vast-ocean
- Description:
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- Abstract:
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To support NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)
long-term goals for sustainable management and conservation
of coral reef ecosystems, towed-diver surveys (aka. towboard
surveys) were conducted by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
(CRED) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
(PIFSC) as part of the Pacific Reef Assessment and
Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruises. 10 towboard surveys
(21.23 km in length), were conducted at Ofu & Olosega
during the American Samoa RAMP Cruise HA1201 from 20120401
to 20120426. Towboard surveys are a good method for
obtaining a general description of large reef areas,
assessing the status of low-density populations of
large-bodied reef fish, large-scale disturbances (e.g.,
bleaching), general distribution and abundance patterns of
macro-invertebrates (e.g., Crown of Thorns sea stars, giant
clams), and for assessing trends in these populations and
metrics. A pair of scuba divers (1 fish and 1 benthic diver)
are towed 60 m behind a small survey launch at a speed of
1-2 knots and a depth of approximately 15 m. Each survey is
50 min long, covers about 2 km of habitat, and is divided
into ten 5-minute survey segments. The fish diver records,
to the lowest possible taxon, all large-bodied reef fishes
(greater than 50 cm total length) seen within 5 m either
side and 10 m in front of the towboard. Length of each
individual is estimated to the nearest cm. The fish towboard
is also outfitted with a forward-facing digital video camera
to record the survey swath. The benthic diver records
percent cover of coral and macroalgae, estimates benthic
habitat type and complexity, and censuses a suite of benthic
macroinvertebrates including Crown of Thorns sea stars and
sea urchins. The benthic towboard is equipped with a
downward-facing digital still camera which images the
benthos at 15-second intervals. These images are analyzed
for percent cover of coral, algae, and other benthic
components. Both towboards are equipped with SEABIRD SBE-39
temperature/depth sensors set to record at 5-second
intervals. Latitude and longitude of each survey track is
recorded at 5-second intervals using a Global Positioning
System (GPS) receiver onboard the tow boat. A layback
algorithm is applied to more accurately map the position of
the divers with respect to the reef environment. This
algorithm calculates the position of the divers based on the
position of the tow boat taking into account the length of
the tow rope, the depth of the divers, and the curvature of
the survey track. This metadata applies to the benthic
characterization observations.
- Purpose:
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Part of a long-term monitoring program which documents the
state of the reefs.
- Supplemental_Information:
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The benthic characterization observation data includes
benthic composition, complexity estimations, observed
macro-invertebrates, and observed man-made objects.
Classification of habitat complexity was recorded in six
categories: low (L), medium-low (ML), medium (M),
medium-high (MH), high (H), and very high (VH). Benthic
cover was estimated for four different types of substrate:
hard substrate/pavement, sand, rubble, and live hard
(scleractinian) coral. The time of the benthic digital
photos were set to the GMT time. There are approximately 200
pictures for each 50-minute towed survey track. The
resolution at "Draft" quality (the lowest) is 72
pixels/inch. The resolution at "Best" quality (the highest)
is 266 pixels/inch. The naming convention of benthic photos
is ***MMDDYY_X_###.JPG, where *** is 3-letter abbreviation
of the island or bank surveyed, MMDDYY is the local date of
the towboard survey, X is the Xth dive on the day, and ###
is the sequence number of the pictures taken for that
particular dive. As an example, JAR032106_3_108.JPG means
the picture was the 108th picture taken on 3rd dive of March
21, 2006 at Jarvis Island.
- Time_Period_of_Content:
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- Time_Period_Information:
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- Range_of_Dates/Times:
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- Beginning_Date: 20120424
- Ending_Date: 20120425
- Currentness_Reference: Ground Condition
- Status:
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- Progress: Complete
- Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: asNeeded
- Spatial_Domain:
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- Bounding_Coordinates:
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- West_Bounding_Coordinate: -169.68787251
- East_Bounding_Coordinate: -169.60637391
- North_Bounding_Coordinate: -14.15148103
- South_Bounding_Coordinate: -14.19463628
- Keywords:
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- Theme:
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- Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: NCEI Geoportal Filter
- Theme_Keyword: CoRIS_Metadata
- Theme:
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- Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CRCP Project
- Theme_Keyword:
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Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Monitoring coral reef ecosystems of the US Pacific Islands and Atolls
- Theme_Keyword: 587
- Theme:
-
- Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
- Theme_Keyword: Marine Ecosystem
- Theme_Keyword: Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP)
- Theme_Keyword: Towed Diver Surveys
- Theme_Keyword: Coral Reef
- Theme_Keyword: Benthic Habitat
- Theme_Keyword: American Samoa
- Theme_Keyword: Ofu & Olosega
- Theme_Keyword: HA1201
- Theme:
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- Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
- Theme_Keyword: Numeric Data Sets > Biology
- Theme:
-
- Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
- Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
- Theme_Keyword:
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EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology
- Theme_Keyword:
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EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology > Habitats
- Theme_Keyword:
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EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment
- Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
- Theme:
-
- Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
- Theme_Keyword: biota
- Theme_Keyword: 002
- Place:
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- Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
- Place_Keyword: American Samoa
- Place_Keyword: Ofu & Olosega
- Place:
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- Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Place Thesaurus
- Place_Keyword:
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OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)
- Place_Keyword:
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OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)
- Place_Keyword:
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COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)
- Place_Keyword:
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COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)
- Place:
-
- Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Region
- Place_Keyword: AmSam
- Access_Constraints: None
- Use_Constraints:
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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)
- Point_of_Contact:
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- Contact_Information:
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- Contact_Organization_Primary:
-
- Contact_Organization:
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Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands
Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
- Contact_Address:
-
- Address_Type: mailing and physical address
- Address: NOAA IRC
- Address: NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
- Address: 1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
- City: Honolulu
- State_or_Province: HI
- Postal_Code: 96818
- Country: USA
- Contact_Voice_Telephone: 808 725-5360
- Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 808 725-5429
- Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
- Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
- Data_Set_Credit:
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Jeff Anderson, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED); Matt
Dunlap, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED)
- Security_Information:
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- Security_Classification_System: Not applicable
- Security_Classification: Unclassified
- Security_Handling_Description: Not applicable
- Native_Data_Set_Environment: Oracle
- Data_Quality_Information:
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- Attribute_Accuracy:
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- Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
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Observations were made by divers who are expert coral reef
ecologists. Surveying in this habitat will greatly depend on
the current, wave conditions, and field scheduling. The
towed-diver survey is conducted one time per site per survey
year; it is not replicated. Divers may change from year to
year and by location.
- Logical_Consistency_Report:
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The same data collection protocols were used at each island or
bank surveyed.
- Completeness_Report:
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The towboard surveys are completed in forereef, backreef, and
lagoon habitats. The minimum spatial resolution of the
towboard survey is the 5-minute survey segment which covers
approximately 200 m. As such, these surveys are appropriate
for broad estimates but can not be used for fine scale,
site-level data analysis.
- Positional_Accuracy:
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- Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
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- Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
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Although resource grade GPS units were used and a layback
model was applied to the survey tracks, the exact survey
positions were not physically marked and effort was not
made to re-visit exact same tracks.
- Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
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- Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 1
- Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: Instrument parameters
- Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:
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- Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report: SeaBird SBE-39 temp/depth recorder
- Quantitative_Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:
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- Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 0.3
- Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: Instrument parameters
- Lineage:
-
- Process_Step:
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- Process_Description:
-
The towboard survey involves a pair of scuba divers who
are towed 60 m behind a small boat at a constant speed
(~1.5 knots). The towboard survey is typically 50-min long
and covers about 2 km of habitat, depending on the depth
profile of the divers. The survey is divided into ten
5-min segments. During the survey, the benthic diver
records percent cover of coral and macroalgae, estimates
benthic habitat type and complexity, and censuses a suite
of benthic macroinvertebrates including Crown of Thorns sea
stars and sea urchins.
- Process_Date: Unknown
- Spatial_Reference_Information:
-
- Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
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- Geographic:
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- Latitude_Resolution: 0.0001
- Longitude_Resolution: 0.0001
- Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal Degrees
- Geodetic_Model:
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- Horizontal_Datum_Name: World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84)
- Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80 (GRS80)
- Semi-major_Axis: 6378137
- Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.2572236
- Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
-
- Depth_System_Definition:
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- Depth_Datum_Name: Local surface
- Depth_Resolution: 1
- Depth_Distance_Units: meters
- Depth_Encoding_Method: Explicit Depth Coordinate Included with Horizontal Coordinates
- Distribution_Information:
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- Distributor:
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- Contact_Information:
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- Contact_Organization_Primary:
-
- Contact_Organization:
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Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands
Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
- Contact_Position: Data Manager
- Contact_Address:
-
- Address_Type: mailing and physical address
- Address: NOAA IRC
- Address: NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
- Address: 1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
- City: Honolulu
- State_or_Province: HI
- Postal_Code: 96818
- Country: USA
- Contact_Voice_Telephone: 808 725-5360
- Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 808 725-5429
- Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
- Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
- Resource_Description: Offline Data
- Distribution_Liability:
-
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.
- Standard_Order_Process:
-
- Digital_Form:
-
- Digital_Transfer_Information:
-
- Format_Name:
-
xls (Microsoft Excel worksheet) or csv (comma-separated
values)
- Digital_Transfer_Option:
-
- Offline_Option:
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- Offline_Media: CD-ROM or email
- Recording_Format: ISO 9660
- Fees: None if receiving the data online
- Custom_Order_Process: Contact CRED data management team for information
- Technical_Prerequisites: Contact CRED data management team for information
- Metadata_Reference_Information:
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- Metadata_Date: 20190605
- Metadata_Review_Date: 20120912
- Metadata_Contact:
-
- Contact_Information:
-
- Contact_Organization_Primary:
-
- Contact_Organization:
-
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands
Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
- Contact_Address:
-
- Address_Type: mailing and physical address
- Address: NOAA IRC
- Address: NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
- Address: 1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
- City: Honolulu
- State_or_Province: HI
- Postal_Code: 96818
- Country: USA
- Contact_Voice_Telephone: 808 725-5360
- Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 808 725-5429
- Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
- Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
- Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
- Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
- CoRIS:
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- CoRIS_ID: 20120912030132
- CoRIS_Children: None
- CoRIS_Beginning_Date: 20120424
- CoRIS_Ending_Date: 20120425
- CoRIS_Metadata_Link:
-
https://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/cred_metadata_benthic_tow_ofu_2012.html
- CoRIS_Tracking_ID: 6553
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