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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Benthic cover derived from line-point intercept (LPI) surveys in Faga'alu, American Samoa from 2012-08-14 to 2012-08-16 (NCEI Accession 0169728)

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The data described here were collected in Faga'alu, American Samoa in August 2012 via line-point intercept (LPI) surveys by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP). At each survey site, a SCUBA diver quantitatively documented the benthic composition at 20-cm intervals along two 25-m transects for a total of 125 data points per transect. All living benthic elements (e.g., coral, algae, and other sessile invertebrates) were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Raw survey data consist of counts of benthic elements, including but not limited to coral, carbonate pavement, sand, rubble, macroalgae, crustose coralline algae, turf algae, as well as other sessile invertebrates along the two transects. The data allows for the assessment and monitoring of community structure and composition, and provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of benthic cover (%) at higher taxonomic levels like functional group (coral, macroalgae, turf algae) or on a finer taxonomic resolution such as genus level.

These data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive. Additionally, coral demographic surveys were conducted in 2013 and 2015 and coral surveys in 2012, photoquadrat benthic images were collected in 2012 and 2015, and the 2015 images were analyzed for benthic cover composition (all documented and archived separately).
  • Cite as: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2018). Benthic cover derived from line-point intercept (LPI) surveys in Faga'alu, American Samoa from 2012-08-14 to 2012-08-16 (NCEI Accession 0169728). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0169728. Accessed [date].
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Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
+1-301-713-3277
NCEI.Info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Time Period 2012-08-14 to 2012-08-16
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -170.681
East: -170.679
South: -14.2933
North: -14.2889
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
  • Baseline Assessment of Faga'alu Watershed: A Ridge to Reef Assessment in Support of Sediment Reduction Activities and Future Evaluation of their Success
  • Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2017: Benthic Surveys in Faga'alu, American Samoa: benthic cover derived from line-point intercept (LPI) surveys in August 2012, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25370.
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2018-01-27
Data Presentation Form Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status Complete - production of the data has been completed
Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency As needed
Supplemental Information
Submission Package ID: 59HRR9
Purpose These data are part of a NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) funded project aimed at establishing baseline data for coral demographics and benthic cover and composition via Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys conducted by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) at Faga'alu Bay, Tutuila, American Samoa between 2012 and 2015. In August 2012 Faga’alu watershed in American Samoa was adopted by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative as a priority site, with the objective to reduce inputs of land-based sources of pollution to nearby coastal areas and coral reefs within the watershed. As a result, the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) invested in 1) the collection of baseline data for corals in Faga’alu Bay (REA surveys conducted by NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program [CREP]), and 2) the monitoring of sediment loads in Faga’alu Stream to document pre- and post-mitigation levels of sedimentation in the stream and the receiving waters below. Led by the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, the overall goal of this capacity-building CRCP-funded project is to establish and eventually turn over the long-term monitoring to the local partners in the jurisdiction, thereby meeting the goals of the Watershed Partnership Initiative.
Use Limitations
  • accessLevel: Public
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2018). Benthic cover derived from line-point intercept (LPI) surveys in Faga'alu, American Samoa from 2012-08-14 to 2012-08-16 (NCEI Accession 0169728). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0169728. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
Principal Investigators
Collaborators
Contributors
Resource Providers
Publishers
Acknowledgments
  • Related Funding Agency: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
  • Numeric Data Sets > Benthic
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algal Cover
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Crustose Coralline Algae
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Encrusting Macroalgae
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Fleshy Macroalgae
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Turf Algae
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Baseline studies
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect monitoring
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > OctoCoral Cover
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords Provider Keywords
  • LPI
  • Line-point intercept
  • benthic cover
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Contributing Data Centers
  • CRED
  • CREP
  • Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
  • Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
  • PIFSC
  • Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS CoRIS Place Thesaurus
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Tutuila Island > Faga'alu (14S170W0005)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Pago Pago Harbor > Faga'alu (14S170W0005)
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
Project keywords NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS CRCP Project
  • 917
  • Comprehensive baseline assessment and pilot test of outcome performance measures in Faga'alu Bay, American Samoa
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2018). Benthic cover derived from line-point intercept (LPI) surveys in Faga'alu, American Samoa from 2012-08-14 to 2012-08-16 (NCEI Accession 0169728). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0169728. Accessed [date].
  • NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) Data Sharing Recommendations, version 9.0 updated August 12, 2015: CREP welcomes the opportunity to collaborate on research issues contributing to the scientific basis for better management of marine ecosystems. CREP has a very diverse set of field activities that generates large volumes of data using an array of data collection protocols. The following recommendations are for your consideration as you use this data: 1) Data analyses should take all field exigencies into account. The most effective way to do this would be active collaboration with CREP principal investigators. 2) In all presentations, product releases, or publications using data generated by CREP, proper acknowledgement of both CREP and the individuals responsible for data collection is expected. Citing the DOI (if available) is preferred, a non-DOI example is listed below. 3) If you collect or generate data for the same study areas, CREP requests that you share relevant information on complimentary data collections. 4) Those receiving data are strongly urged to inform the CREP Data Management Team of any errors and discrepancies that are discovered during the course of using these data. They are further urged to bring to the attention of the Team all problems and difficulties encountered in using these data. This information is necessary in order to improve the collections and to facilitate more efficient and economical data processing and retrieval. The users are asked to supply copies of any missing data that may be located, and to provide information as to significant subsets and special aggregations of data that are developed in using the material provided. Example citation: "This publication makes use of data products provided by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with funding support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). The analysis and interpretations presented here are solely that of the current authors.”
Access Constraints
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees
  • In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • 2018-01-27T01:49:05Z - NCEI Accession 0169728 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • Parameter or Variable: REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER (measured); Units: percent; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Upon arrival at a survey site, divers entered the water and deployed two 25-m transect lines, which were shared with belt transect surveys of corals. The Line-point Intercept (LPI) methodology was implemented to quantitatively document the benthic cover along the transects. The LPI diver determined the benthic composition at 20-cm intervals along the transect line for a total of 125 data points per transect. All living benthic elements (e.g., coral, algae, and other sessile invertebrates) were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible, often substituting functional group categories for turf algae and crustose coralline algae when identification in the field was extremely difficult. Raw survey data consist of counts of benthic elements, including but not limited to coral, carbonate pavement, sand, rubble, fleshy macroalgae, crustose coralline algae, turf algae, as well as other sessile invertebrates along the two transects. The data allows for the assessment and monitoring of community structure and composition, and provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of benthic cover (%) at higher taxonomic levels like functional group (coral, macroalgae, turf algae) or on a finer taxonomic resolution such as genus level..
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • swimmer/diver
Last Modified: 2024-02-21T13:44:27Z
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