Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
20090610
CRED REA Line Point Intercept Surveys of Benthic Parameter Assessments at Maug Islands, Marianas Archipelago in 2007
spreadsheet
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ecosystems/coral-reefs-pacific
To support a long-term NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, from 25 May - 09 June 2007, 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 HI0703 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, 9 REA sites were surveyed at Maug Islands 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.
Part of a long-term monitoring program at biennial intervals which documents the state of the reefs.
Maximum depth was 18 meters.
Benthic cover parameters observed:
Year Region Island BenthicCategory BenthicName
2007 MARIAN Maug CALG crustose coralline red algae
2007 MARIAN Maug CALG Pavement/Coralline algae
2007 MARIAN Maug CALG Rock/Crustose coralline algae
2007 MARIAN Maug CALG Rubble/coralline algae
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Acropora sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Astreopora sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Cyphastrea sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Echinopora sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Favia sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Favia stelligera
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Favites sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Galaxea fascicularis
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Goniastrea sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Goniopora sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Heliopora coerulea
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Hydnophora sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Leptastrea sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Lobophyllia sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Millepora sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Montipora sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Pavona varians
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Pocillopora sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Porites lobata
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Porites lutea
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Porites rus
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Porites sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CORL Turbinaria sp
2007 MARIAN Maug CYAN Dead/Cyanobacteria
2007 MARIAN Maug CYAN Rock/Cyanobacteria
2007 MARIAN Maug DEAD Dead coral
2007 MARIAN Maug INVT Invertebrate
2007 MARIAN Maug malg Dead/lobophora
2007 MARIAN Maug malg Halimeda sp
2007 MARIAN Maug malg Macroalgae
2007 MARIAN Maug malg Pavementement/lobophora
2007 MARIAN Maug OCTO Sinularia sp
2007 MARIAN Maug SAND Sand
2007 MARIAN Maug TALG Dead/Turf algae
2007 MARIAN Maug TALG Pavement
2007 MARIAN Maug TALG Pavement/Turf
2007 MARIAN Maug TALG Rock/turf
2007 MARIAN Maug TALG Rubble/turfalgae
20070530
20070601
Ground condition
asNeeded
145.189541
145.247908
20.05008
20.002458
NCEI Geoportal FilterCoRIS_MetadataCRCP ProjectPacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP): Biennial monitoring for the U.S. Pacific Islands and Atolls1221
None
Marine Ecosystem
Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP)
Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA)
Coral Reef Ecosystem
Benthic Cover
Marianas Archipelago
Maug Islands
HI0703
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment
EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
Numeric Data Sets > Biology
ISO 19115 Topic Category
biota
002
None
Marianas Archipelago
Maug Islands
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Maug Island > Maug Island (20N145E0001)
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Maug > Maug Island (20N145E0001)
CoRIS Region
CNMI
Data are available two years following data collection date
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
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Dr. Bernardo Vargas-Angel
mailing and physical address
NOAA IRC
NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
808 725-5360
808 725-5429
nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
e-mail preferred
Bernardo Vargas-Angel, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Sciences Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
Not applicable
Unclassified
Not applicable
Oracle
The benthic cover parameter observations were made by a single diver who is coral reef 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. The majority of surveys were conducted in the lagoon due to inclement sea conditions in other habitats.
GPS unit
1
Instrument parameters
Dive computer and SCUBA depth gauge
0.3
Instrument parameters
REA surveys are investigations that provide a high degree of taxonomic resolution for coral, algae, other macroinvertebrate, and reef fish communities. The surveys were conducted using a combination of dive teams which generally included a two to three person fish team, a two person coral/coral disease team, and a combined team of two algae biologists and one macroinvertebrate biologist. The majority of REA surveys were conducted along the forereef slopes of individual islands at depths between 10 and 20 m. However, additional surveyed habitats included a lagoonal-type patch reef and offshore oceanic banks.
During REA surveys, biological assessment teams follow highly structured protocols that are repeated at each REA site. Upon arrival at an REA site, three teams of divers enter the water over spaced time intervals. The fish team firstly enters the water and deploys a 25-m transect line. Two of the fish divers begin to survey along that transect while the remaining fish diver begins stationary point count assessments in the general vicinity. After approximately 20 min, the coral team enters the water and begins to work along the first transect line. By this time the fish team has deployed and begun surveys along a second 25-m transect. About 10 min later, the algal/invertebrate team enters the water and begins surveying the first transect. In total, the fish team surveys three transects at each site (transects 1, 2, and 3), and the coral and algal/invertebrate teams survey transects 1 and 2. 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.
Unknown
0.0001
0.0001
Decimal Degrees
World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84)
Geodetic Reference System 80 (GRS80)
6378137
298.2572236
Local surface
1
meters
Explicit Depth Coordinate Included with Horizontal Coordinates
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
CRED Data Management Team
mailing and physical address
NOAA IRC
NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
808 725-5360
808 725-5429
nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
e-mail preferred
Offline Data
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.
XLS (Microsoft Excel worksheet)
CDROM, or email
ISO 9660
None if receiving the data online
Contact CRED data management team for information
Contact CRED data management team for information
20190526
20090909
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
mailing and physical address
NOAA IRC
NMFS/PIFSC/CRED
1845 WASP Blvd., Building 176
Honolulu
HI
96818
USA
808 725-5360
808 725-5429
nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov
e-mail preferred
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
FGDC-STD-001-1998
20090909015008
None
20070530
20070601
https://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/cred_rea_benthic_cover_maug_islands_2007.html
2860