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Benthic Surveys in Faga'alu, American Samoa: belt transect surveys of corals in March and August of 2012

Published by Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 19, 2025 | Last Modified: 2017-01-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
The data described here were collected in Faga'alu, American Samoa in March and August 2012 via belt transect surveys of corals by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP). At a survey site, divers deployed two 25-m transects to gather information on the coral communities present there, including diversity and health status, and within each transect three 5-m segments were surveyed (beginning at 0m, 10m, and 20m). Within each segment, all coral colonies whose center fell within 0.5m of either side of the transect were identified to genus. Cases of disease and impaired health were also recorded and the type of affliction was documented. These data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive. Additionally, LPI surveys were conducted in 2012, coral demographic surveys were conducted in 2013 and 2015, photoquadrat benthic images were collected in 2012 and 2015, and the 2015 images were analyzed for benthic cover composition (all documented and archived separately).

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917 American Samoa Comprehensive baseline assessment and pilot test of outcome performance measures in Faga'alu Bay Numeric Data Sets > Biology EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Baseline studies EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Belt Transect EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities CORAL CORAL - BLEACHING CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION survey - swimmer/diver CORAL REEF STUDIES Coral Reef Conservation Program US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division; Coral Reef Ecosystem Program COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Tutuila Island > Faga'alu (14S170W0005) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Pago Pago Harbor > Faga'alu (14S170W0005) South Pacific Ocean CRED CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Faga'alu DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC > Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce Benthic Missions

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