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National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) of Reef Fish, including Benthic Estimate Data of American Samoa since 2015

Published by Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 19, 2025 | Last Modified: 2024-03-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
The stationary point count (SPC) method is used to conduct reef fish surveys in the Hawaiian and Mariana Archipelagos, American Samoa, and the Pacific Remote Island Areas as part of the NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). The SPC method catalogs the diversity (species richness), abundance (numeric density) and biomass (fish mass per unit area) of diurnally active reef fish assemblages in shallow-water (less than 30 m) hard-bottom habitats. Visual estimates of benthic cover and topographic complexity are also recorded, with benthic organisms grouped into broad functional categories (e.g., 'Hard Coral', 'Macroalgae'). A stratified random sampling (StRS) design is employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems throughout the U.S.-Pacific regions. For all regions, the survey domain encompasses the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats and the stratification includes island, reef zone, and depth, with the exception of the Main Hawaiian Islands that includes habitat structure type as well. Sampling effort is allocated based on strata area. The reef fish and benthic estimate data provided in this data set were collected during SPC surveys as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led NCRMP missions around American Samoa in 2015, 2018, and 2023. Additionally, data collected as part of a PIFSC-funded Reef Fish Survey cruise in American Samoa in 2016 are included as these data are funded separately from but are complementary to the NCRMP-funded data. During the 2016 cruise, some sites were surveyed using both open-circuit SCUBA (OC) and closed-circuit rebreather (CCR), as part of an ongoing assessment of sources of bias in survey count relating to divers' presence. The CCR data is archived separately.

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743 National Coral Reef Monitoring Program Numeric Data Sets > Fish Census EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species Richness EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census > Stationary EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover 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 > Fish EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish Assemblages EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Macroinvertebrates EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates FISH - CORAL REEF FISH BIOMASS FISH SPECIES SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - ORGANISM LENGTH survey survey - biological survey - swimmer/diver visual estimate HI'IALAKAI Oscar Elton Sette 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 Island (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) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000) 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 Island (14S169W0013) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Olosega Island (14S169W0014) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ta'u Island (14S169W0012) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Rose Island > Rose Island (Rose Atoll) (14S168W0001) Rose Atoll Marine National Monument South Pacific Ocean CRED CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program ESD Ecosystem Sciences Division PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center RAMP REA Rapid Ecological Assessment Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Reef Fish SPC Stationary Point Count 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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