National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Towed-diver surveys of benthic habitats, key benthic species, and marine debris of American Samoa
The visual estimate data provided in this collection were gathered during towed-diver surveys around American Samoa. During towed-diver surveys, the diver records the percentage cover of total live hard corals, stressed hard corals, soft corals, sand, coralline algae, macroalgae, and the number of individual macroinvertebrates (crown of thorns starfish (COTS), sea urchins, and giant clams). Benthic habitat complexity and type data are also collected as part of the survey with the following habitat type categories: continuous reef, spur and groove, patch reefs, rock boulders, pavement, rubble flat, sand flats, pinnacle, and wall. Surveys were conducted in American Samoa as part of the ongoing NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP).
Dataset Citation
- Cite as: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division (2018). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Towed-diver surveys of benthic habitats, key benthic species, and marine debris of American Samoa. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v59g5k30. Accessed [date].
Dataset Identifiers
ISO 19115-2 Metadata
gov.noaa.nodc:NCRMP-Towed-Benthic-AmSam
Search Data |
|
Download Data |
|
Distribution Formats |
|
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 | 2015-02-15 to Present |
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates |
West: -171.092526
East: -168.137397
South: -14.56062599
North: -11.04523805
|
Spatial Coverage Map |
General Documentation |
|
Associated Resources |
|
Publication Dates |
|
Data Presentation Form | Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns |
Dataset Progress Status | Ongoing - data is continually being updated Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility |
Data Update Frequency | As needed |
Supplemental Information | Accessions 0157566 The towed-diver method is used to conduct benthic surveys and assess large-scale disturbances (e.g., bleaching). This method is also used to quantify benthic components such as habitat complexity/type and the general distribution and abundance patterns of live coral, CCA, macroalgae, and macroinvertebrates. The towed-diver method is suitable for assessing relatively large areas of reef habitat. The method involves towing a pair of SCUBA divers—one for benthic and one for fish—behind a small boat for approximately 50 minutes, following the ~15-m depth contour, and covering about 2–3 km of habitat. Each diver is equipped with a towboard and attempts to maintain a constant elevation above the surface of the reef (~1 m) for the duration of the survey. A complete towed-diver survey is divided into 10, 5-minute segments, with visual observations recorded by 5-minute segment. The fish towed diver data is documented and archived separately. |
Purpose | The NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) details a long term approach to provide an ecosystem perspective via monitoring climate, fish, benthic, and socioeconomic variables in a consistent and integrated manner. The NCRMP is intended to coordinate various NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) biological, physical, and human dimensions activities into a cohesive NOAA-wide effort. Through the implementation of the NCRMP, NOAA will be able to clearly and concisely communicate results of national-scale monitoring to national, state, and territorial policy makers, resource managers, and the public on a periodic basis. |
Use Limitations |
|
Dataset Citation |
|
Cited Authors | |
Principal Investigators | |
Collaborators | |
Contributors | |
Resource Providers | |
Publishers | |
Acknowledgments |
|
Theme keywords |
NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS
|
Data Center keywords |
NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS
NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS
Contributing Data Centers
|
Platform keywords | NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords ICES/SeaDataNet Ship Codes |
Instrument keywords | NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords |
Place keywords |
NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS
CoRIS Place Thesaurus
|
Project keywords |
NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS
|
Keywords | NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER |
Use Constraints |
|
Access Constraints |
|
Fees |
|
Lineage information for: series | |
---|---|
Processing Steps |
|
Acquisition Information (collection) | |
---|---|
Instrument |
|
Platform |
|
Last Modified: 2024-02-21T13:40:56Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov