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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

NCCOS Assessment: Benthic Habitat Map for the Insular Shelf South of St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (NCEI Accession 0170098)

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The dataset describes the spatial distribution of benthic habitats on the insular shelf south of St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. These benthic habitats include: (1) Coral Reef Colonized with Live Coral, (2) Pavement Colonized with Live Coral, (3) Rhodoliths with Macroalgae, (4) Rhodoliths with Macroalgae and Bare Sand, and (5) Bare Sand. These habitats were translated into the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) scheme. NCCOS developed these spatially resolved maps using environmental predictors, underwater videos/photos and mathematical modeling techniques. The overall thematic accuracy for this map is 85.8% (corrected for proportional bias).
  • Cite as: Costa, Bryan; Kracker, Laura; Battista, Tim; Sautter, Will; Mabrouk, Ayman; Edwards, Kimberly; Taylor, Chris; Ebert, Erik (2018). NCCOS Assessment: Benthic Habitat Map for the Insular Shelf South of St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (NCEI Accession 0170098). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5930rfv. Accessed [date].
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Distribution Formats
  • Originator data format
Ordering Instructions Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
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 2004-01-01 to 2017-09-30
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -65.269529
East: -64.642701
South: 18.11361
North: 18.313243
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
  • Costa, Bryan M.; Kracker, Laura M.; Battista, Timothy Adams; Sautter, Will; Mabrouk, Ayman; Edwards, Kimberly Ann; Taylor, James Christopher; Ebert, E. F. Benthic habitat maps for the insular shelf south of St. Thomas and St. John. NOAA technical memorandum NOS NCCOS; 241. 2017. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/tm-nos-nccos-241
  • Mapping Reef Fish and the Seascape: Using Acoustics and Spatial Modeling to Guide Coastal Management
  • Marine habitat mapping offshore St. Thomas & St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands EEZ – Final Report
  • Methods Used to Map the Benthic Habitats of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Integration of fisheries acoustics surveys and bathymetric mapping to characterize midwater-seafloor habitats of US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico (2008–2010)
  • DEM Surface Tools
  • Potential Structuring Forces on a Shelf Edge Upper Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem in the US Virgin Islands
  • Battista, Tim; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2015). Water depth and acoustic backscatter data collected from NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in Caribbean Sea, Buck Island Reef and Virgin Islands National Coral Reef Monuments, U.S. Virgin Islands from 2004-02-18 to 2004-03-05 (NCEI Accession 0131850). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0131850.
  • Battista, Tim; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2015). Water depth and acoustic backscatter data collected from NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in Caribbean Sea, South of St. John and St. Thomas and Buck Island, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands from 2005-02-01 to 2005-02-12 (NCEI Accession 0131860). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0131860.
  • Battista, Tim; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2015). Water depth and acoustic backscatter data collected from NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in Caribbean Sea, southern and eastern offshore of Isla de Vieques from 2009-03-26 to 2009-04-02 (NCEI Accession 0131857). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0131857.
  • Battista, Tim; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2015). Water depth and acoustic backscatter data collected from NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in Caribbean Sea from 2010-03-18 to 2010-04-06 (NCEI Accession 0131854). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0131854.
  • Battista, Tim; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2015). Water depth, acoustic backscatter, and other data collected from NOAA Ship Nancy Foster and Fugro LADS Mark II Airborne System in Caribbean Sea and US Virgin Islands - Shoals from 2011-03-29 to 2011-04-16 (NCEI Accession 0131858). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0131858.
  • Casey, Kenneth S.; Selig, Elizabeth R.; Zhang, Dexin; Saha, Korak; Krishnan, Ajay; McMichael, Elizabeth (2015). The Coral Reef Temperature Anomaly Database (CoRTAD) Version 5 - Global, 4 km Sea Surface Temperature and Related Thermal Stress Metrics for 1982-2012 (NCEI Accession 0126774). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5cz3545.
  • Ocean Color Web
  • Taylor, Chris; Ebert, Erik; Kracker, Laura; Battista, Tim; Costa, Bryan (2016). NCCOS Caribbean Fishery Acoustic Assessment: Fish Density Data Collection from NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, from 2008-03-26 to 2014-05-31 (NCEI Accession 0156395). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0156395.
  • Field Activity Details for 2009-001-FA (Cruise ID T-1-09-PR)
  • Developing A Benthic Habitat Map for the Insular Shelf South of St. Thomas and St. John
  • USVI Insular Shelf BIOMapper
  • USVI Insular Shelf Benthic Habitat Mapping Video Explorer
  • National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, 2017: NCCOS Assessment: Underwater Video for Ground Validation and Accuracy Assessment of Benthic Habitat Maps of the Insular Shelf South of St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, 2010-03-20 to 2017-02-10, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/50381.
  • USVI Insular Shelf MapServer
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2018-01-24
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: B163R8
Purpose The insular shelf south of St. Thomas and St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), is an expansive geomorphologic feature with extensive mesophotic coral reefs occurring at 30 to 150 meter depths. These mesophotic reefs are part of a broader coral reef community in the U.S. Caribbean that provide a wide range of ecosystem goods and services estimated to provide $187 million per year (in 2007 US dollars) to local communities. While these reefs provide great economic value to local communities, they are increasingly under threat from multiple human-caused stressors, making it critical for the USVI and Puerto Rico jurisdictions to find ways to preserve and sustainably manage them. Ideally, the first step in any marine management process is to comprehensively map and inventory the location of coral reef resources. The geographic information system (GIS) layers and products provided in this report represent the first complete habitat map for the insular shelf south of St. Thomas and St. John. These products also represent the culmination of an extensive seafloor mapping campaign conducted by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) in collaboration with regional partners. Products from this assessment will support coastal and ocean management efforts by other territorial and federal agencies working in the U.S. Caribbean.
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: Costa, Bryan; Kracker, Laura; Battista, Tim; Sautter, Will; Mabrouk, Ayman; Edwards, Kimberly; Taylor, Chris; Ebert, Erik (2018). NCCOS Assessment: Benthic Habitat Map for the Insular Shelf South of St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (NCEI Accession 0170098). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5930rfv. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
Principal Investigators
Collaborators
Contributors
Resource Providers
Points of Contact
Publishers
Acknowledgments
  • Related Funding Agency: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
  • Related Funding Agency: NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
  • Geographic Information > Habitats
  • Numeric Data Sets > Benthic
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Mapping > Habitat Mapping
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Remote Sensing > Satellite (digital scans) > Multispectral Analysis
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Bathymetry
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Hard Seafloor Substrate
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Rugosity
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Slope
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Water Depth
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords NCCOS Keywords
  • NCCOS Research Data Type > Derived Data Product
  • NCCOS Research Data Type > Geospatial
  • NCCOS Research Data Type > Model
  • NCCOS Research Priority > Marine Spatial Ecology
  • NCCOS Research Topic > Habitat Mapping
Provider Keywords
  • Benthic Habitat Type
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Platform keywords NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords ICES/SeaDataNet Ship Codes Provider Platform Names
  • CrewZen II
  • R/V Tiki
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS CoRIS Place Thesaurus
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Culebra Island (18N065W0011)
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Vieques > Vieques Island (18N065W0002)
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > St. John > St. John (18N064W0011)
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > St. Thomas > St. Thomas (18N064W0033)
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Culebra Island (18N065W0011)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Vieques Island > Vieques Island (18N065W0002)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Leeward Islands > St. Thomas (18N064W0033)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Lesser Antilles > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Virgin Islands > St. John (18N064W0011)
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords NCCOS Place Keywords
  • NCCOS Research Location > Region > Caribbean Sea
  • NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Puerto Rico
  • NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > U.S. Virgin Islands
Provider Place Names
  • Grammanik Bank Marine Conservation District
  • Hind Bank Marine Conservation District
  • Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument
  • Virgin Passage
Project keywords CRCP Project
  • 30081
  • 463
  • Developing A Benthic Habitat Map for the South Eastern Puerto Rican Shelf
  • Mapping Essential Fish Habitat in the US Caribbean to inform MPA management
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Costa, Bryan; Kracker, Laura; Battista, Tim; Sautter, Will; Mabrouk, Ayman; Edwards, Kimberly; Taylor, Chris; Ebert, Erik (2018). NCCOS Assessment: Benthic Habitat Map for the Insular Shelf South of St. Thomas and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (NCEI Accession 0170098). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5930rfv. Accessed [date].
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
  • 2018-01-24T16:25:32Z - NCEI Accession 0170098 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • Parameter or Variable: Benthic Habitat Type (calculated); Units: n/a; Observation Category: model output; Sampling Instrument: Models/Analyses > Data Analysis > Environmental Modeling; Sampling and Analyzing Method: The dataset describes the spatial distribution of benthic habitats on the insular shelf south of St. Thomas and St. John. These habitats include: (1) ‘Coral Reef Colonized with Live Coral’, (2) ‘Pavement Colonized with Live Coral’, (3) ‘Rhodoliths with Macroalgae’, (4) ‘Rhodoliths with Macroalgae and Bare Sand’, and (5) ‘Bare Sand’. The performance and thematic accuracy of these products were evaluated using an independent set of underwater videos (n=348). The overall thematic accuracy for this map is 85.8% (corrected for proportional bias). For a complete description of the processing and analytical methods see Costa et al. 2017.; Data Quality Method: These benthic habitat map products were reviewed by subject matter experts in the U.S. Caribbean. The thematic accuracy of this benthic habitat map was also assessed using an independent dataset. For a complete description of the processing and analytical methods see Costa et al. 2017..
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • acoustic sensor
  • AVHRR
  • echo sounder
  • MODIS
Platform
  • NOAA Ship Nancy Foster
Last Modified: 2024-04-10T23:31:34Z
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