National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations in American Samoa from 2015 to 2018
Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data were collected as part of NOAA's ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). These data were gathered around American Samoa as a part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led missions from 2015 to 2018.
During these missions, the variables of benthic complexity and urchin abundance were recorded by SCUBA divers during visual surveys at NCRMP climate stations. A select number of climate sites were chosen per island in hard-bottom habitat at 15-m depths in a stratified random fashion.
To record benthic complexity, the divers ran a 15-m transect from the reference stake for the site and estimated two maximum vertical relief measurements per meter along the 15-m transect (based on an area of 0.5 m x 1 m to the left and 0.5 m x 1 m to the right of each meter on the transect) for a total of 30 measurements. The measurements were tallied into five substrate height bins, including 0-20 cm, 20-50 cm, 50-100 cm, 100-150 cm, and >150 cm. The total frequency for the five substrate height bins is 30 units for a 15-m transect. Maximum depth, minimum depth, and maximum vertical relief were also recorded for the climate station.
Free and boring urchin abundance was estimated within the climate station and recorded using DACOR, an abundance code based on visual estimation; dominant (D), abundant (A), common (C), occasional (O), and rare (R).
Complete Metadata
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| description | Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data were collected as part of NOAA's ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). These data were gathered around American Samoa as a part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led missions from 2015 to 2018. During these missions, the variables of benthic complexity and urchin abundance were recorded by SCUBA divers during visual surveys at NCRMP climate stations. A select number of climate sites were chosen per island in hard-bottom habitat at 15-m depths in a stratified random fashion. To record benthic complexity, the divers ran a 15-m transect from the reference stake for the site and estimated two maximum vertical relief measurements per meter along the 15-m transect (based on an area of 0.5 m x 1 m to the left and 0.5 m x 1 m to the right of each meter on the transect) for a total of 30 measurements. The measurements were tallied into five substrate height bins, including 0-20 cm, 20-50 cm, 50-100 cm, 100-150 cm, and >150 cm. The total frequency for the five substrate height bins is 30 units for a 15-m transect. Maximum depth, minimum depth, and maximum vertical relief were also recorded for the climate station. Free and boring urchin abundance was estimated within the climate station and recorded using DACOR, an abundance code based on visual estimation; dominant (D), abundant (A), common (C), occasional (O), and rare (R). |
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| identifier | gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:36099 |
| issued | 2016-12-01T00:00:00.000+00:00 |
| keyword |
[
"743",
"National Coral Reef Monitoring Program",
"Numeric Data Sets > Benthic",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Biological Classification > Animals/Invertebrates > ECHINODERMS > SEA URCHINS",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Rugosity",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Macroinvertebrates",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates",
"HABITAT - BENTHIC",
"MACROINVERTEBRATE CENSUS",
"benthic",
"survey - swimmer/diver",
"visual estimate",
"HI'IALAKAI",
"CORAL REEF STUDIES",
"Coral Reef Conservation Program",
"National Coral Reef Monitoring Program",
"US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000)",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Rose Atoll (14S168W0001)",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Swains Atoll (11S171W0001)",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Ta'u Island (14S169W0012)",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016)",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Ofu Island > Ofu (14S169W0002)",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Olosega Island > Olosega (14S169W0016)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Rose Atoll (14S168W0001)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Swains Atoll (11S171W0001)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ofu (14S169W0002)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Olosega (14S169W0016)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ta'u Island (14S169W0012)",
"Rose Atoll Marine National Monument",
"South Pacific Ocean",
"CRED",
"CREP",
"Coral Reef Ecosystem Division",
"Coral Reef Ecosystem Program",
"ESD",
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"PIFSC",
"Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
"RAMP",
"Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program",
"DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC > Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
"American Samoa"
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|
| landingPage | https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36099 |
| language |
[]
|
| license | https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ |
| modified | 2019-03-01T00:00:00.000+00:00 |
| publisher |
{
"name": "Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
"@type": "org:Organization"
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|
| references |
[
"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/dmp/pdf/36099.pdf"
]
|
| rights | otherRestrictions, unclassified |
| spatial | -168.13792,-14.559317,-171.09223299,-11.04568868 |
| temporal | 2015-02-15T00:00:00+00:00/2015-03-26T00:00:00+00:00 |
| title | National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations in American Samoa from 2015 to 2018 |
