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Coral Bleaching & Recovery Observations using Structure-from-Motion (SfM) Models from Main Hawaiian Islands Fixed Sites Surveyed from 2019 to 2021

Published by Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 19, 2025 | Last Modified: 2023-09-14T00:00:00.000+00:00
Coral adult demographic data described in this dataset are derived from the GIS analysis of benthic photomosaic imagery. This data includes coral species identification, bleaching extent and severity, colony diameter, perimeter, and planar size. The source imagery was collected using a Structure from Motion (SfM) approach during in-water surveys conducted by divers and is documented and described separately. The data was collected by the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD; formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) and [on Hawaii Island] in partnership with State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) during the 2019 bleaching event in the Main Hawaiian Islands, and in subsequent years (2020, 2021) to assess recovery. The SfM surveys were conducted at fixed sites ranging in depth from 18-52'. Sites were photographed using underwater cameras for later processing using one of two SfM approaches: using a spiral swim pattern (where divers take images continuously in a circular pattern covering a circle of 12m diameter), or within a defined box where divers swam back and forth to cover a 10 x 10m area. The photographs were processed using Agisoft Metashape software to generate orthomosaic images that were analyzed in ArcGIS for adult coral colony demographic metrics. Data was collected for each site within at least 10 randomly generated 0.49m2 quadrats. Additional quadrats were analyzed if necessary until the sample sizes per species of interest were met. If a species had very low density at a given site (< 10 patches recorded within the first 10 quadrats), it was dropped from further observations. However, the data for these patches remains in the raw data in order to provide presence/absence data. Therefore, data should be carefully analyzed to ensure accurate species density calculations are done. Two datasets are provided: an annotations file which provides coral demographic information of 6 target species at 12 fixed sites across 3 years, as well as a site metadata file which describes the site and surveys which were used to generate models for which annotation data was derived. Six species were assessed: Montipora capitata (MCAP), Montipora patula (MPAT), Porites lichen (PLIC), Porites lobata (PLOB), Porites lutea (PLUT), and Pocillopora meandrina (PMEA). Annotations included coral species identification, maximum diameter measurement, planar area measurement, morphology, and, for sites surveyed in 2019, bleaching extent and bleaching severity. Each coral was annotated at the patch level, and patches composing individual colonies, also known as genets, were assigned a unique genet ID number. The same coral patches were tracked over each time point, unless mortality of a coral patch occurred. Note an update in methodology: The data was collected in two stages. During the first stage of data collection that was completed in 2021, for each coral patch, (>= 5cm in diameter), maximum diameter, ID (to lowest taxonomic level), morphology, bleaching extent (% of the patch with reduced pigmentation), and bleaching severity (1-3 from least to most severe) were recorded. In 2023 the methodology was updated for the second stage of data collection; the updated dataset includes measures of planar area and a "genet" (colony) identification column. The 2023 dataset was also collected following an update to the model process methodology (see Lineage). Users should refer to the most updated dataset published in 2023.

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DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC/ESD > Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > CORAL REEFS > CORAL BLEACHING OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS > HAWAII ISLAND OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS > LANAI OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS > OAHU Computer > Computer 31283 31361 Assessing impacts of Hawaii's 2019 coral bleaching event on coral recovery and coral communities Hawai'i coral bleaching assessment and analysis Numeric Data Sets > Benthic EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Condition EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases > Bleaching EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Scleractinia (stony corals) EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities NEARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis CORAL CORAL - COLONY SIZE CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION GIS product derived products in situ survey - coral reef CORAL REEF STUDIES National Coral Reef Monitoring Program Ocean Acidification Program US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Hawaii (21N160W0000) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Oahu (21N157W0003) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Maui > Lanai Island (20N156W0002 COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Maui > Maui Island (20N156W0004 COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaiian Islands (21N157W0027) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands (21N157W0027) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii > Hawaii (21N160W0000 OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii Island > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003 OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Lanai Island > Lanai Island (20N156W0002) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Maui Island > Maui Island (20N156W0004) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Oahu Island > Oahu (21N157W0003) Coastal Waters of Hawaii Central Pacific Ocean North Pacific Ocean photograph scale VARIOUS SMALL VESSELS CRED CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program DAR DLNR Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources ESD Ecosystem Sciences Division PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center SfM Structure from Motion coral demography DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC > Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce Ocean and Climate Change

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