Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)/National Ocean Service (NOS)/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)/Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)/Biogeography Branch
Publication_Date: 201009
Title:
Baseline assessment of fish and benthic communities of the Flower Garden Banks (2010 - present) using remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey methods: 2011
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Silver Spring, MD
Publisher:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Online_Linkage:
Description:
Abstract:
The proposed work develop baseline information on fish and benthic communities within the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS). Surveys will employ diving, technical diving, ROV, and hydroacoustics technologies for a comprehensive assessment of the fish and benthic habitat communities of the East and West Bank. The FGBNMS represents the northernmost tropical western Atlantic coral reef on the continental shelf and support the most highly developed offshore hard bank community in the region. The complexity of habitats supports a diverse assemblage of organisms including approximately 250 species of fish, 23 species of coral, and 80 species of algae in addition to large sponge communities. Understanding and monitoring these resources is critical to both sanctuary inventory and management activities. During the course of the sanctuary's management plan review process, the impact of fishing was identified as a priority issue, and the concept of a research only area was suggested. The purpose of this project will be to provide baseline data for all benthic habitats and communities.
Purpose:
1) To design an appropriate sampling and monitoring strategies for fish and benthic community sampling, as well as data collection, during the first year funding, 2) during subsequent years, focus on refinement of the sampling strategies and continuing to build on the baseline dataset, 3) groundtruthing and collection of underwater imagery and video to improve existing map products, 4) the banks begin at 150m depth and reach to within 17m of the water's surface, therefore multiple survey techniques will need to be employed using a random stratified sampling design. An ROV will be utilized to survey the deeper water communities, a combination of divers and technical divers will survey the banks down to ~50m, and ship-based hydroacoustics will be utilized to survey fish densities over the entire depth range; and 5) to analyze the information gathered to help guide sanctuary resource management decisions.
Supplemental_Information:
This work is being conducted in collaboration with the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS), Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research (CCFHR), NOAA's Center for Coastal Environment and Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR), NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology (CIOERT).
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 201005
Ending_Date: Present
Currentness_Reference: Ground Condition
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: as needed
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -93.82
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -93.59
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 27.92
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 27.87
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: NCEI Geoportal Filter
Theme_Keyword: CoRIS_Metadata
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CRCP Project
Theme_Keyword:
Baseline assessment of fish and benthic communities of the Flower Garden Banks
Theme_Keyword: 180
Theme_Keyword:
F058 Baseline assessment of fish and benthic communities of the Flower Garden Banks
Theme_Keyword: 20464
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
Theme_Keyword: Numeric Data Sets > Biology
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census > Belt transect
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census > Linear transect
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species richness
Theme_Keyword:
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish assemblages
Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish Census
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: biota
Theme_Keyword: 002
Theme_Keyword: environment
Theme_Keyword: 007
Theme_Keyword: oceans
Theme_Keyword: 014
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: coral reef fishes
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Place Thesaurus
Place_Keyword:
OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Gulf of America > Flower Garden Banks > East Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0001)
Place_Keyword:
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Texas > East Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0001)
Place_Keyword:
OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Gulf of America > Flower Garden Banks > West Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0002)
Place_Keyword:
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Texas > West Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0002)
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: CoRIS Region
Place_Keyword: Gulf of Mexico
Place_Keyword: Gulf of America
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
Please reference NOAA/NCCOS/CCMA/Biogeography Branch when utilizing these data in a report or peer reviewed publication. Additionally, knowledge of how this dataset has been of use and which organizations are utilizing it is of great benefit for ensuring this information continues to meet the needs of the management and research communities. Therefore, it is requested but not mandatory, that any user of these data supply this information to the Principle Investigator: Randy Clark (email: randy.clark@noaa.gov).
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: NOAA/NCCOS/CCMA/Biogeography Branch
Contact_Position: Flower Garden Banks Project Principle Investigator
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address
Address: Building 1100, Suite 101
City: Stennis Space Center
State_or_Province: MS
Postal_Code: 39529
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 228-688-3735
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: randy.clark@noaa.gov
Hours_of_Service: 9:00 - 5:00
Data_Set_Credit:
This is a cooperative effort between NOAA/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Branch, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research (CCFHR), NOAA's Center for Coastal Environment and Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR), NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology (CIOERT) and NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries Program