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National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef benthic communities in Puerto Rico

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: February 28, 2026 | Last Modified: 2024-07-12T00:00:00.000+00:00

Benthic survey data provided in this collection of datasets were gathered around Puerto Rico as part of NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)-led missions in collaboration with various partners. These partners include the University of Puerto Rico, HJR Reefscaping, Ecoelectrica, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales), the University of the Virgin Islands and the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. This benthic data collection for the ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) consists of two survey types: the Line Point-Intercept (LPI) method and the Coral Demographic method. The LPI method provides a measure of percent cover of biotic and abiotic components of the benthos in a stratified random sampling design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats. LPI surveys are concurrent with and along the same transect as fish surveys. The coral demographics protocol provides more detailed and species-specific insight (‘signal magnitude’) for coral populations than is provided by percent cover.

Resources

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CRCP Benthic Cover Puerto Rico

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CRCP Invertebrates ESACorals Puerto Rico

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CRCP Coral Demographic Survey Puerto Rico

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NCEI Dataset Landing Page

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Granule Search

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NCRMP Caribbean Biological Monitoring Protocols

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https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/national-coral-reef-monitoring-program-biological-socioeconomic/

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OBIS USA: NCRMP Benthic Variables in Darwin Core Format

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GCMD Keyword Forum Page

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NCEI Contact Information

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Complete Metadata

@type	dcat:Dataset
accessLevel	non-public
contactPoint	{ "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information", "@type": "vcard:Contact", "hasEmail": "mailto:ncei.info@noaa.gov" }
describedByType	application/octet-steam
description	Benthic survey data provided in this collection of datasets were gathered around Puerto Rico as part of NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)-led missions in collaboration with various partners. These partners include the University of Puerto Rico, HJR Reefscaping, Ecoelectrica, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales), the University of the Virgin Islands and the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. This benthic data collection for the ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) consists of two survey types: the Line Point-Intercept (LPI) method and the Coral Demographic method. The LPI method provides a measure of percent cover of biotic and abiotic components of the benthos in a stratified random sampling design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats. LPI surveys are concurrent with and along the same transect as fish surveys. The coral demographics protocol provides more detailed and species-specific insight (‘signal magnitude’) for coral populations than is provided by percent cover.
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ERDDAP offers an easy-to-use, consistent way to request data: via the OPeNDAP standard. Many datasets can also be accessed via ERDDAP's Web Map Service (WMS). ERDDAP returns data in the common file format of your choice. ERDDAP offers all data as .html table, ESRI .asc and .csv, Google Earth .kml, OPeNDAP binary, .mat, .nc, ODV .txt, .csv, .tsv, .json, and .xhtml.", "describedByType": "application/octet-steam" }, { "@type": "dcat:Distribution", "title": "CRCP Coral Demographic Survey Puerto Rico", "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/CRCP_Coral_Demographic_Survey_Puerto_Rico.html", "description": "ERDDAP acts as a middleman between you and various remote data servers. ERDDAP offers an easy-to-use, consistent way to request data: via the OPeNDAP standard. Many datasets can also be accessed via ERDDAP's Web Map Service (WMS). ERDDAP returns data in the common file format of your choice. 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identifier	gov.noaa.nodc:NCRMP-Benthic-PR
issued	2018-03-07T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword	[ "0217139", "0224418", "0272313", "0294342", "BENTHIC SPECIES", "BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA COUNTS", "CORAL", "CORAL - BLEACHING", "CORAL - CENSUS", "CORAL - COLONY SIZE", "CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION", "HABITAT - BENTHIC", "MACROINVERTEBRATE CENSUS", "REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER", "swimmer/diver", "visual observation", "biological", "in situ", "survey", "survey - biological", "survey - coral reef", "survey - swimmer/diver", "visual observation", "NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science", "NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center", "NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science", "Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)", "CORAL REEF STUDIES", "National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP)", "Caribbean Sea", "North Atlantic Ocean", "oceanography", "CSS", "Coastal Survey Solutions, Inc.", "HJR Reefscaping, Inc.", "Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources", "US DOC; NOAA; NFMS; Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS/SEFSC)", "US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NMFS/SEFSC", "US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)", "University of Puerto Rico", "DOC/NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC > Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce", "DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce", "743", "National Coral Reef Monitoring Plan (NCRMP) Implementation", "National Coral Reef Monitoring Program", "National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP)", "CRCP Project #743 National Coral Reef Monitoring Plan (NCRMP) Implementation", "NCCOS Project #180 National Coral Reef Monitoring Program Implementation: Biological and Socioeconomic Monitoring", "Numeric Data Sets > Benthic", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat > Description", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species Richness", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases > Bleaching", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > ESA Listed Species", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Linear Transect (point)", "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 > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Scleractinia (stony corals)", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover Dead percentage", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover Live percentage", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Rugosity", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF", "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > CORAL REEFS", "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > CORAL REEFS > CORAL BLEACHING", "EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS", "Marine Spatial Ecology > Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments", "Marine Spatial Ecology > Habitat Mapping", "Field Observation", "Long-term Monitoring", "REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - RUGOSITY", "VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS", "ruler", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Culebra Island (18N065W0011)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Isla de Desecheo (18N067W0007)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Isla de Mona (18N067W0002)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Vieques > Vieques Island (18N065W0002)", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Culebra Island (18N065W0011)", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Isla de Desecheo (18N067W0007)", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Isla de Mona (18N067W0002)", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Vieques Island > Vieques Island (18N065W0002)", "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN", "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA", "U.S. States and Territories > Puerto Rico", "Waterbodies > Caribbean Sea", "Caribbean Sea", "Puerto Rico", "Biennial", "VERTICAL LOCATION > SEA FLOOR", "14TYPY", "4W3MTU", "B8HR0L", "KKDA3F" ]
landingPage	https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language	[]
license	https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified	2024-07-12T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher	{ "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information", "@type": "org:Organization" }
references	[ "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0157633/data/0-data/Atlantic/Biological/", "https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/national-coral-reef-monitoring-program-biological-socioeconomic/", "https://obis.org/institute/23174" ]
rights	otherRestrictions
spatial	-65.228901,17.867048,-67.949417,18.519091
temporal	2014-05-19T00:00:00+00:00/2014-05-19T00:00:00+00:00
title	National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef benthic communities in Puerto Rico

Location