Benthic Surveys in Nu’uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef in American Samoa: comprehensive assessment of coral demography (adult and juvenile corals) from belt transect surveys from 2024-11-11 to 2024-11-21 (NCEI Accession 0307838)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: January 29, 2026 | Last Modified: 2025-09-26T00:00:00.000+00:00

This dataset includes coral demographic data of Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef, American Samoa. Surveys were conducted by snorkelers from the Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), in collaboration American Samoa's Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources and the Coral Reef Advisory Group. Benthic coral demographic surveys were conducted within belt transects of specified length and width for two life stages (juveniles and adults) in Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef, American Samoa in November 2024. Surveys were conducted at 20 randomly-selected sites and provide information on adult coral colony counts, morphology, size, partial mortality (old and recent dead), presence of disease and other compromised health conditions, including bleaching. Juvenile colony surveys include morphology and size. Taxonomic identification of adult colonies is to the species level (where possible) and genus level for juveniles. The survey design and site selection of stratified-random sites (StRS) follows protocols established by the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). Data from benthic surveys of Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef establishes a comprehensive biological baseline for land-based sources of pollution impacts on benthic composition and coral demography. These efforts feed into the higher-level CRCP objectives by establishing an in-situ tracking system to assess the effects of management and mitigation strategies and activities in the target watersheds to reduce land-based sources of pollution impacts on coral reefs.

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description	This dataset includes coral demographic data of Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef, American Samoa. Surveys were conducted by snorkelers from the Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), in collaboration American Samoa's Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources and the Coral Reef Advisory Group. Benthic coral demographic surveys were conducted within belt transects of specified length and width for two life stages (juveniles and adults) in Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef, American Samoa in November 2024. Surveys were conducted at 20 randomly-selected sites and provide information on adult coral colony counts, morphology, size, partial mortality (old and recent dead), presence of disease and other compromised health conditions, including bleaching. Juvenile colony surveys include morphology and size. Taxonomic identification of adult colonies is to the species level (where possible) and genus level for juveniles. The survey design and site selection of stratified-random sites (StRS) follows protocols established by the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). Data from benthic surveys of Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef establishes a comprehensive biological baseline for land-based sources of pollution impacts on benthic composition and coral demography. These efforts feed into the higher-level CRCP objectives by establishing an in-situ tracking system to assess the effects of management and mitigation strategies and activities in the target watersheds to reduce land-based sources of pollution impacts on coral reefs.
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identifier	gov.noaa.nodc:0307838
issued	2025-09-11T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword	[ "0307838", "biological data", "CORAL", "CORAL - CENSUS", "CORAL - COLONY SIZE", "CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION", "swimmer/diver", "visual observation", "in situ", "survey - biological", "survey - coral reef", "survey - swimmer/diver", "US DOC/NOAA/NMFS/Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center/Honolulu Laboratory", "NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center", "Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)", "CORAL REEF STUDIES", "South Pacific Ocean", "oceanography", "ARP", "Archipelagic Research Program", "ESD", "Ecosystem Sciences Division", "PIFSC", "Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center", "DOC/NOAA/NMFS > National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce", "31454", "Develop monitoring capacity of American Samoan jurisdictional partners and observing LBSP impacts on coral reefs", "Numeric Data Sets > Biology", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Mortality", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Damage Assessment > Pollution", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment", "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 > Coral Colony Size and Condition", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic Biology", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF", "EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS", "COLONY - RECENT MORTALITY CAUSE", "CORAL - BLEACHING SEVERITY", "CORAL - CONDITION EXTENT", "CORAL - HEALTH CONDITION", "CORAL - MORPHOLOGY", "CORAL - MORTALITY", "VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Tutuila Island > Nu'uuli (14S170W0037)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Tutuila Island > Nu'uuli (14S170W0037)", "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN", "American Samoa", "Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon", "JRBG1J" ]
landingPage	https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language	[]
license	https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified	2025-09-26T00:00:00.000+00:00
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references	[ "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/74830", "https://doi.org/10.25923/ws5s-km69", "https://doi.org/10.25923/r7dd-wg50" ]
rights	otherRestrictions
spatial	-170.6999,-14.32444,-170.7107,-14.31784
temporal	2024-11-11T00:00:00+00:00/2024-11-21T00:00:00+00:00
title	Benthic Surveys in Nu’uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef in American Samoa: comprehensive assessment of coral demography (adult and juvenile corals) from belt transect surveys from 2024-11-11 to 2024-11-21 (NCEI Accession 0307838)

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