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Reef fish abundance and size data collected by transect and stationary point count methods: a calibration to enable the use of long-term, fishery-independent data by fisheries and regional managers in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) (NCEI Accession 0299733)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: January 29, 2026 | Last Modified: 2024-12-13T00:00:00.000+00:00
This project ensures that the existing data from previous fishery independent surveys can be combined with data collected under new methodology, ensuring preservation of long-time series reef fish datasets in the FGBNMS. Specifically, this archived dataset are the site level fish abundance and size observations made by one transect diver and a pair of stationary point count divers. These collection methods represent the transition of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) belt-transect survey methodology to the currently used Reef Visual Census (RVC) survey methodology, respectively. More information about the methodologies can be found (Jeffrey 2019 & CRCP 2022). In the FGBNMS, the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program began in 2013. Initially, the belt transect method was used for fish surveys, but then transitioned to the RVC method in the FGBNMS by 2018. This dataset is the field samples collected in order to properly calibrate belt transect data to RVC data.

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0299733 biological data FISH - CORAL REEF FISH CENSUS FISH SPECIES SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - ORGANISM LENGTH visual estimate biological in situ survey - coral reef survey - swimmer/diver visual estimate visual observation Coral Reef Conservation Program NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) CORAL REEF STUDIES Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Gulf of Mexico oceanography DOC/NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC > Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce 31264 Reef fish calibration study to enable the use of long-term, fishery-independent data by fisheries and regional managers Numeric Data Sets > Fish Census EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species Richness EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census > Belt Transect EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census > Stationary EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish Census EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > FISH number and size VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS MV Fling COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Texas > East Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Texas > West Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0002) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Gulf of Mexico > Flower Garden Banks > East Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Gulf of Mexico > Flower Garden Banks > West Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0002) OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF AMERICA OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF MEXICO 00RT3G

Complete Metadata
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description This project ensures that the existing data from previous fishery independent surveys can be combined with data collected under new methodology, ensuring preservation of long-time series reef fish datasets in the FGBNMS. Specifically, this archived dataset are the site level fish abundance and size observations made by one transect diver and a pair of stationary point count divers. These collection methods represent the transition of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) belt-transect survey methodology to the currently used Reef Visual Census (RVC) survey methodology, respectively. More information about the methodologies can be found (Jeffrey 2019 & CRCP 2022). In the FGBNMS, the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program began in 2013. Initially, the belt transect method was used for fish surveys, but then transitioned to the RVC method in the FGBNMS by 2018. This dataset is the field samples collected in order to properly calibrate belt transect data to RVC data.
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identifier gov.noaa.nodc:0299733
issued 2024-12-09T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "0299733",
  "biological data",
  "FISH - CORAL REEF",
  "FISH CENSUS",
  "FISH SPECIES",
  "SPECIES IDENTIFICATION",
  "SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT",
  "SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - ORGANISM LENGTH",
  "visual estimate",
  "biological",
  "in situ",
  "survey - coral reef",
  "survey - swimmer/diver",
  "visual estimate",
  "visual observation",
  "Coral Reef Conservation Program",
  "NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center",
  "Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)",
  "CORAL REEF STUDIES",
  "Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Gulf of Mexico",
  "oceanography",
  "DOC/NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC > Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "31264",
  "Reef fish calibration study to enable the use of long-term, fishery-independent data by fisheries and regional managers",
  "Numeric Data Sets > Fish Census",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species Richness",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census > Belt Transect",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census > Stationary",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish Census",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > FISH",
  "number and size",
  "VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS",
  "MV Fling",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Texas > East Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0001)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Texas > West Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0002)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Gulf of Mexico > Flower Garden Banks > East Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0001)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Gulf of Mexico > Flower Garden Banks > West Flower Garden Banks (27N093W0002)",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF AMERICA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF MEXICO",
  "00RT3G"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2024-12-13T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
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references 
                                            [
  "https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/1005",
  "https://doi.org/10.25923/1baa-5g44",
  "https://doi.org/10.7289/v5rr1w87",
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rights otherRestrictions
spatial -93.59628,27.87274,-93.82249,27.91354
temporal 2023-09-18T00:00:00+00:00/2023-09-21T00:00:00+00:00
title Reef fish abundance and size data collected by transect and stationary point count methods: a calibration to enable the use of long-term, fishery-independent data by fisheries and regional managers in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) (NCEI Accession 0299733)

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