Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
20091029
CRED REA Invertebrate Quantitative Assessments at Palmyra Atoll, Pacific Remote Island Areas, in 2001
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 30 January - 28 February 2001, marine invertebrate quantitative assessments were conducted, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA), during the Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise TC0101 in the Pacific Remote Island Areas. Such cruises are conducted at biennial intervals by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC).
At specific reef sites, marine invertebrate zoologists along with coral and algal biologists entered the water and conducted a fine-scale (~100 m2) and high degree of taxonomic resolution benthic REA survey for coral, algae, and key invertebrate species. Invertebrate surveys were focused on quantifying key non-coral invertebrate species common to the reef habitats, and were conducted using a combination of different survey techniques to quantify the diverse communities. These methods included belt-transect surveys, roving-swim surveys, and quadrat surveys.
In belt-transect surveys, quantitative counts of key invertebrates were recorded along two consecutively-placed 25m long and 2m wide belt transects (total area = 100 m2). For any species that cannot be identified in the field, a photograph and a representative specimen, if possible, is collected for later identification.
Roving-swim surveys were conducted in the general area with the goal to collect qualitative data for rare, larger, and cryptic organisms, such as Crown of Thorns Starfish and Triton's Trumpet snails which may not be seen during belt-transect surveys, and to survey any additional habitats present at the site, e.g. sand, sea grass, pavement, etc. This was accomplished by swimming a zig-zag pattern that extends roughly 5 m on either side of the two transect lines (total length = 500 m).
Quadrat surveys were used to quantify the smaller, more cryptic invertebrates which were sometimes overlooked or too numerous to count during belt-transect surveys. Ten 0.25-m2 quadrats were laid out at 2-m intervals along two of the 25-m transects (total area = 5 m2). For each quadrat the percent cover of sponges, octocorals and zoanthids was recorded, as well as urchins, hermit crabs of the genus Calcinus, trapezid crabs, and coralliophilid snails. In addition, up to 25 cm diameters of all urchin species are measured.
Based on data from previous REA surveys, a group of target invertebrate species was chosen for quantitative counts at 5 REA sites at Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Remote Island Areas. The species in the list were chosen because they have been shown to be common components of the reef habitats and they are species that are generally visible (i.e.; non-cryptic) and easily enumerated during the course of a single 50-60 minute SCUBA survey.
Part of a long-term monitoring program at biennial intervals which documents the state of the reefs.
Maximum depth was 20 meters.
Invertebrates observed: see [Species List Not Available From Database At This Time]
20010219
20010220
Ground condition
asNeeded
Reefs surrounding Palmyra Atoll, Pacific Remote Island Areas
-162.188484
-161.975032
5.916696
5.848978
NCEI Geoportal FilterCoRIS_Metadata
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
Numeric Data Sets > Biology
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates
EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Census
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 > In Situ Biological
None
Marine Ecosystem
Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP)
Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA)
Coral Reef Ecosystem
Invertebrates
Pacific Remote Island Areas
Palmyra Atoll
TC0101
ISO 19115 Topic Category
biota
002
oceans
014
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001)
OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001)
None
Pacific Remote Island Areas
Palmyra Atoll
CoRIS Region
PRIA
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)
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
Dwayne Minton, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Sciences Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
Not applicable
Unclassified
Not applicable
Oracle
The observations were made by trained ecologists. The survey is 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 scientists.
The survey sites were selected to be representative of the dominant habitats at this reef system.
GPS unit
1
Instrument parameters
Dive computer and SCUBA depth gauge
0.3
Instrument parameters
In belt-transect surveys, quantitative counts of key invertebrates were recorded along two consecutively-placed 25m long and 2m wide belt transects (total area = 100 m2). For any species that cannot be identified in the field, a photograph and a representative specimen, if possible, is collected for later identification.
Roving-swim surveys were conducted in the general area with the goal to collect qualitative data for rare, larger, and cryptic organisms, such as Crown of Thorns Starfish and Triton's Trumpet snails which may not be seen during belt-transect surveys, and to survey any additional habitats present at the site, e.g. sand, sea grass, pavement, etc. This was accomplished by swimming a zig-zag pattern that extends roughly 5 m on either side of the two transect lines (total length = 500 m).
Quadrat surveys were used to quantify the smaller, more cryptic invertebrates which were sometimes overlooked or too numerous to count during belt-transect surveys. Ten 0.25-m2 quadrats were laid out at 2-m intervals along two of the 25-m transects (total area = 5 m2). For each quadrat the percent cover of sponges, octocorals and zoanthids was recorded, as well as urchins, hermit crabs of the genus Calcinus, trapezid crabs, and coralliophilid snails. In addition, up to 25 cm diameters of all urchin species are measured.
Based on data from previous REA surveys, a group of target invertebrate species was chosen for quantitative counts at 5 REA sites at Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Remote Island Areas. The species in the list were chosen because they have been shown to be common components of the reef habitats and they are species that are generally visible (i.e.; non-cryptic) and easily enumerated during the course of a single 50-60 minute SCUBA survey.
The following target marine invertebrates were conducted in invertebrate quantitative assessment surveys:
CNIDARIA
Octocorals > soft corals (Sinularia, Cladiella, Lobophyton, Sarcophyton etc)
Zoanthids > rubber corals
Actiniaria > Anemones (Heteractis, Stichodactyla, Phymanthus etc)
ECHINODERMS
Echinoids > sea urchins
Holothuroids > sea cucumbers
Asteroids > sea stars
MOLLUSCA
Bivalves > spondylid oysters, pearl oysters, tridacnid clams (Giant Clams)
Large Gastropods > Charonia (Triton's Trumpet) and Lambis sp. (Spider Conch)
Coralliophilidae gastropods
Cephalopods - octopus
CRUSTACEA
hermit crabs, lobsters, large crabs
The species in this list were chosen because they have been shown to be common components of the reef habitats and they are species that are generally visible (i.e.; non-cryptic) and easily enumerated during the course of a single 50-60 minute SCUBA survey.
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
20091103
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
Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
FGDC-STD-001.1-1999
20091103082249
None
20010219
20010220
https://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/cred_rea_inverts_pal_2001_metadata.html
4182