Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

This site is currently in beta, and your feedback is helping shape its ongoing development.

Structure-from-Motion Coral Demography derived from Stratified Random Site Imagery collected across the Hawaiian Archipelago from 2019-04-21 to 2019-08-03 for methods comparison (NCEI Accession 0253468)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: January 29, 2026 | Last Modified: 2022-05-25T00:00:00.000+00:00
Coral adult and juvenile coral colony demographic data described in this dataset are derived from the GIS analysis of benthic photomosaic imagery for a methods comparison with in situ diver data. Official National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) coral demographic data is archive separately under NCEI Accession 0298217. The source imagery was collected using a Structure from Motion (SfM) approach during in-water surveys conducted by divers. The data were collected as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) and Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD; formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led NCRMP missions around the Main Hawaiian Islands in 2019 aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette. The SfM surveys are part of the Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys for corals and fish conducted during ESD-led NCRMP missions. Surveys were conducted at sites randomly stratified across sub-island sectors and three depth strata (shallow: 0-6m, mid: 6-18m and deep: >18m). These sites represent a broad range of depths (1-25 m), habitat types (aggregate reef, patch reef, pavement, rock and boulder and rubble), coral cover, and diving conditions. Allocation of sampling effort was proportional to strata area and variance in coral density. The StRS design effectively reduces estimate variance through stratification using environmental covariates and by sampling more sites rather than sampling more transects at a site. Therefore, site-level estimates and site to site comparisons should be used with caution. During each survey, an 18m transect line was deployed along the isobath and photographed using underwater cameras while swimming in a back and forth swim pattern for later processing using an SfM approach. At depths of 1-20 m, SfM surveys were conducted over a 3 x 20m area and at depths > 20m, a 3 x 13m area was surveyed, both with the transect running down the middle of the survey area. The photographs were processed using Agisoft Metashape software to generate orthomosaic images that were analyzed in ArcGIS for juvenile and adult coral colony demographic metrics. Data was collected for each site within four 2.5m2 segments, each 1m wide, along the transect (at 0-2.5m, 5-7.5m, 10-12.5m, and 15-17.5m). At deeper sites where a 3 x 13m area was surveyed, only the first three segments were analyzed in ArcGIS. For each adult coral colony (> 5cm in diameter), maximum diameter, ID (to lowest taxonomic level), and estimated percent old mortality were recorded. Bleaching extent (% of living tissue with reduced pigmentation) and severity were also recorded. Juvenile coral colonies (0.7 to 5cm maximum diameter) were recorded within the first 1 m2 of the first 3 segments. For juvenile colonies, only ID and maximum diameter were recorded.

Find Related Datasets

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

0253468 biological data CORAL - COLONY SIZE CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION photograph visual observation biological in situ survey - coral reef NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) CORAL REEF STUDIES Pacific Reef and Assessment Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP) Coastal Waters of Hawaii North Pacific Ocean oceanography CRED CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center DOC/NOAA/NMFS > National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC/ESD > Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce 743 National Coral Reef Monitoring Program RAMP Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program Numeric Data Sets > Benthic EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Condition EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases > Bleaching EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Scleractinia (stony corals) EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS Ships OSCAR ELTON SETTE (call sign: WTEE, ICES code: 33OC, 2003-) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Hawaii (21N160W0000) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Kauai Island (22N159W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Molokai Island (21N157W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Oahu (21N157W0003) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Kalawao > Kahoolawe Island (20N156W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Kauai > Niihau Island (21N160W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Maui > Lanai Island (20N156W0002) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Maui > Maui Island (20N156W0004) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaiian Islands (21N157W0027) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands (21N157W0027) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii > Hawaii (21N160W0000) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii Island > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Kahoolawe Island > Kahoolawe Island (20N156W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Kauai Island > Kauai Island (22N159W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Lanai Island > Lanai Island (20N156W0002) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Maui Island > Maui Island (20N156W0004) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Molokai Island > Molokai Island (21N157W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Niihau Island > Niihau Island (21N160W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Oahu Island > Oahu (21N157W0003) OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN 8DEL5N

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov