Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Publication_Date: 20090415
Title:
CRED REA Line Point Intercept Surveys of Benthic Parameter Assessments at Aguijan Island, Marianas Archipelago in 2009
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: spreadsheet
Online_Linkage:
Description:
Abstract:
To support a long-term NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, from 5 April - 14 April 2009, 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 HI0902 in the Marianas Archipelago at biennial intervals by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). During the cruise, 6 REA sites were surveyed at Aguijan Island in the Marianas Archipelago.
At the specific REA sites, coral biologists along with algal biologists, marine invertebrate zoologist, and fish biologists 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.
As a part of REA surveys, the line point intercept surveys were used to quantitatively assess average percent live coral cover and other benthic substrates at REA sites. The surveys were conducted along two consecutively-placed 25m transect lines by a coral biologist. All benthic elements falling directly underneath the transect line at 20-cm to 50-cm intervals were recorded as one of nine benthic categories: live coral, dead coral, carbonate pavement, encrusting coralline algae, macroalgae, coral rubble, sand, rock, and other benthic sessile invertebrates. All living benthic elements (e.g., coral, algae, and other invertebrates) were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of percent live coral cover, as well as percent cover of the different benthic constituents.
Purpose:
Part of a long-term monitoring program at biennial intervals which documents the state of the reefs.
Supplemental_Information:
Maximum depth was 23 meters.
Benthic cover parameters observed:
Year Region Island BenthicCategory BenthicName
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CALG crustose coralline red algae
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CALG Dead/coralline algae
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CALG Pavement/Coralline algae
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CALG Rubble/coralline algae
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Acropora abrotnoides
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Acropora digitifera
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Acropora humilis
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Acropora sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Acropora surculosa
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Astreopora sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Coscinaraea columna
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Cyphastrea sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Favia matthai
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Favia sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Favia stelligera
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Galaxea fascicularis
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Galaxea sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Goniastrea retiformis
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Goniastrea sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Hydnophora microconnos
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Leptastrea sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Leptoria phyrgia
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Millepora sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Montipora sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Pavona minuta
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Pavona sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Pavona varians
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Platygyra sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Pocillopora eydouxi
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Pocillopora meandrina
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Pocillopora sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Porites lobata
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Porites lutea
2009 MARIAN Aguijan Corl Porites massive
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Porites rus
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Porites sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CORL Stylophora sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CYAN Cyanobacteria
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CYAN Dead/Cyanobacteria
2009 MARIAN Aguijan CYAN Pavement/cyanobacteria
2009 MARIAN Aguijan malg Caulerpa serrulata
2009 MARIAN Aguijan malg Halimeda opuntia
2009 MARIAN Aguijan malg Halimeda sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan malg Halimeda taenicola
2009 MARIAN Aguijan malg Halimeda tuna
2009 MARIAN Aguijan malg Lobophora variegata
2009 MARIAN Aguijan malg Microdictyon setchellianum
2009 MARIAN Aguijan malg Microdictyon sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan malg Padina sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan OCTO Lobophyton sp
2009 MARIAN Aguijan OCTO Octocoral
2009 MARIAN Aguijan OTHR Sponge
2009 MARIAN Aguijan SAND Sand
2009 MARIAN Aguijan TALG Dead/Turf algae
2009 MARIAN Aguijan TALG Pavement/Turf
2009 MARIAN Aguijan TALG Rubble/turfalgae
2009 MARIAN Aguijan TALG turf algae
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 20090411
Ending_Date: 20090411
Currentness_Reference: Ground condition
Status:
Progress: In Work
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: asNeeded
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: 145.513089
East_Bounding_Coordinate: 145.59934
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 14.894833
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 14.801742
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: NCEI Geoportal Filter
Theme_Keyword: CoRIS_Metadata
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CRCP Project
Theme_Keyword:
Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP): Biennial monitoring for the U.S. Pacific Islands and Atolls
Theme_Keyword: 1221
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: Marine Ecosystem
Theme_Keyword: Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP)
Theme_Keyword: Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA)
Theme_Keyword: Coral Reef Ecosystem
Theme_Keyword: Benthic Cover
Theme_Keyword: Marianas Archipelago
Theme_Keyword: Aguijan Island
Theme_Keyword: HI0902
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
Theme_Keyword: Numeric Data Sets > Biology
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: biota
Theme_Keyword: 002
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Marianas Archipelago
Place_Keyword: Aguijan Island
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Place Thesaurus
Place_Keyword:
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Aguihan > Aguihan Island (Aguijan) (14N145E0006)
Place_Keyword:
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Aguihan Island Reefs > Aguihan Island (Aguijan) (14N145E0006)
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Region
Place_Keyword: CNMI
Access_Constraints: Data are available two years following data collection date
Use_Constraints:
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
Point_of_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_Person: Dr. Bernardo Vargas-Angel
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:
"Dave Burdick, Cristi Richards", Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Sciences Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
Security_Information:
Security_Classification_System: Not applicable
Security_Classification: Unclassified
Security_Handling_Description: Not applicable
Native_Data_Set_Environment: Oracle