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National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Towed-diver Surveys of Large-bodied Fishes of American Samoa in 2015

Published by Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 19, 2025 | Last Modified: 2016-01-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
The towed-diver method is used to conduct surveys of large-bodied (> 50 cm) fishes 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). A suitable method for assessing relatively large areas of reef habitat, the method involves towing a pair of SCUBA divers—one benthic and one fish—behind a small boat for approximately 50 min following the ~15-m depth contour and covering about 2–3 km of habitat. Each diver is equipped with a towboard and attempts to maintain a constant elevation above the surface of the reef (~1 m) for the duration of the survey. A complete towed-diver survey is divided into 10 5-min segments, with visual observations recorded by 5-min segment. The visual estimate data provided in this dataset were collected during towed-diver surveys in which the number, size, and species of all large-bodied fishes observed within a visually estimated 5-m transect on either side of the fish diver and 10 m in front were recorded. The data were collected around the American Samoa as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) led mission in 2015. These data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

Resources

5 resources available

  • VS_FISH_TDS SAMOA 2015.csv

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
  • DR-16-002.pdf

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
  • NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP)

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
  • Full Metadata Record

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE

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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 > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census > Linear Transect 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 EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish Assemblages FISH - CORAL REEF FISH BIOMASS FISH SPECIES SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - ORGANISM LENGTH survey survey - biological survey - swimmer/diver tows 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; Coral Reef Ecosystem Program 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) South Pacific Ocean CRED CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program Fish PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center TDS Towed-Diver Surveys towboard towed diver Triennial 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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