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Structure from motion images collected during marine debris surveys at coral reef sites entangled with derelict fishing nets at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2018 and 2021

Published by Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 19, 2025 | Last Modified: 2022-05-05T00:00:00.000+00:00
The photographs described in this dataset were collected using a Structure from Motion (SfM) approach during in-water marine debris swim surveys conducted by snorkelers in search of derelict fishing nets. Surveys were conducted by the NOAA Fisheries, Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Initial surveys occurred from September 24 - October 3, 2018 during an ESD-led marine debris removal mission aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette, and follow-up surveys occurred from September 13-14, 2021 on a joint mission with non-profit organization Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project aboard the M/V IMUA. During the 2018 mission, only a subset of marine debris surveys resulted in a SfM survey. Fishing nets were located during swim surveys and selected for SfM if the net was interacting with coral or hard substrate, the depth of the net was within ~1- 4 m of the surface, and the area of the net fit within the 9 sq. meter SFM survey plot. During a SFM survey, a permanent 3 x 3 m plot was established around the center of the fishing net, and the net was photographed using a back and forth swim pattern ("before" photos) for later processing using a SfM approach. The net was then removed and the same area was photographed again in the same way ("after" photos). A nearby (>50 m distant) paired control site was also photographed using the same method ("control" photos). During the 2021 mission, relocation of all paired sites where "after" and "control" photos were taken in 2018 was attempted; if found, the permanent 3 x 3m plot was reimaged using the same SfM approach. Only a subset of 2018 sites were successfully relocated in 2021 (12 "after" sites, 8 "control" sites), and five new nearby "control" sites had to be established to fulfill the paired study design.

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EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > MARINE ENVIRONMENT MONITORING > MARINE SUBMERGED DEBRIS CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > HAWAII OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Visual Images > Habitats EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Damage Assessment > Marine Debris EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Hard Seafloor Substrate EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology images in situ CORAL REEF STUDIES US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Pearl and Hermes Reef (27N176W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands > Pearl and Hermes Reef (27N176W0001) North Pacific Ocean Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument camera M/V IMUA OSCAR ELTON SETTE CRED CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program ESD Ecosystem Sciences Division Marine Debris Program PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center SfM Structure from Motion derelict fishing gear fishing nets marine debris NWHI PHR PMNM Pearl and Hermes DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC > Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce Marine Debris

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "Halperin, Ariel",
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  "hasEmail": "mailto:ariel.halperin@noaa.gov"
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describedByType application/octet-steam
description The photographs described in this dataset were collected using a Structure from Motion (SfM) approach during in-water marine debris swim surveys conducted by snorkelers in search of derelict fishing nets. Surveys were conducted by the NOAA Fisheries, Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Initial surveys occurred from September 24 - October 3, 2018 during an ESD-led marine debris removal mission aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette, and follow-up surveys occurred from September 13-14, 2021 on a joint mission with non-profit organization Papahanaumokuakea Marine Debris Project aboard the M/V IMUA. During the 2018 mission, only a subset of marine debris surveys resulted in a SfM survey. Fishing nets were located during swim surveys and selected for SfM if the net was interacting with coral or hard substrate, the depth of the net was within ~1- 4 m of the surface, and the area of the net fit within the 9 sq. meter SFM survey plot. During a SFM survey, a permanent 3 x 3 m plot was established around the center of the fishing net, and the net was photographed using a back and forth swim pattern ("before" photos) for later processing using a SfM approach. The net was then removed and the same area was photographed again in the same way ("after" photos). A nearby (>50 m distant) paired control site was also photographed using the same method ("control" photos). During the 2021 mission, relocation of all paired sites where "after" and "control" photos were taken in 2018 was attempted; if found, the permanent 3 x 3m plot was reimaged using the same SfM approach. Only a subset of 2018 sites were successfully relocated in 2021 (12 "after" sites, 8 "control" sites), and five new nearby "control" sites had to be established to fulfill the paired study design.
distribution 
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    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
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    "title": "SfM_MarineDebris_ControlImages_PHR_2021",
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identifier gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:59423
issued 2020-04-28T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > REEF > CORAL REEF",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > MARINE ENVIRONMENT MONITORING > MARINE SUBMERGED DEBRIS",
  "CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > HAWAII",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS",
  "Visual Images > Habitats",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Damage Assessment > Marine Debris",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Hard Seafloor Substrate",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology",
  "images",
  "in situ",
  "CORAL REEF STUDIES",
  "US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Pearl and Hermes Reef (27N176W0001)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands > Pearl and Hermes Reef (27N176W0001)",
  "North Pacific Ocean",
  "Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument",
  "camera",
  "M/V IMUA",
  "OSCAR ELTON SETTE",
  "CRED",
  "CREP",
  "Coral Reef Ecosystem Division",
  "Coral Reef Ecosystem Program",
  "ESD",
  "Ecosystem Sciences Division",
  "Marine Debris Program",
  "PIFSC",
  "Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
  "SfM",
  "Structure from Motion",
  "derelict fishing gear",
  "fishing nets",
  "marine debris",
  "NWHI",
  "PHR",
  "PMNM",
  "Pearl and Hermes",
  "DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC > Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "Marine Debris"
]
landingPage https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/59423
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2022-05-05T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/dmp/pdf/59423.pdf"
]
spatial -175.7880926,27.82745706,-175.8211335,27.89404863
temporal 2018-09-24T00:00:00+00:00/2018-10-03T00:00:00+00:00
title Structure from motion images collected during marine debris surveys at coral reef sites entangled with derelict fishing nets at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2018 and 2021

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