Description

The benthic percent cover data described in this record is a result of a synthesizing effort led by the Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) to integrate benthic cover data collected during the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) surveys in the Mariana Islands Archipelago with surveys carried out by jurisdictional partners in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This project covers a period of over 20 years (2000-2022) and was funded by the CRCP Project #31364, titled "Synthesizing data to assess temporal trends in benthic and reef fish communities across the Mariana archipelago". Benthic percent cover was estimated for six categories (i.e., calcified, non-calcified, algae, turf, crustose coralline algae, and coral) and produced at three spatial scales: across the archipelago (populated islands versus remote islands), at each populated island (Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan) and some remote islands, and for each downscaled sectors (10 sectors in Guam, four in Rota, four in Tinian, and 9 in Saipan). These estimates were primarily generated from benthic substrate photographs and using the line-point intercept methodology. Benthic substrate photographs are commonly taken along a 30-m transect at every meter at each site and are then analyzed using the web-based annotation tool. The line-point-intercept methodology consists of consecutively placing 25-m line transects (with a usually 5-m inter-transect distance) to determine the benthic composition at predetermined intervals along the transect line.

Resources

Format	Description	Link
0	Benthic cover dataset from in situ surveys across the Mariana Islands Archipelago in 2000-2022. Datafile includes the benthic cover for each site (lowest spatial unit, from sectors to island to archipelago-wide), habitat type (only forereef), survey year, latitude, and longitude as well as each island name. These mean coral cover values derived from a synthesizing effort conducted among four main datasets: the NOAA Fisheries Ecosystem Sciences Division, the University of Guam, the CNMI Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality, and The CNMI BECQ/University of Queensland Saipan Surveys.	http://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0299811
0	View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset.	https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/72575
0	Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage	https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
0	Landing page for PIFSC	https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/pacific-islands#science
0	NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) website.	http://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/
0	Relevant Publication. Gajdzik L, Ingeman K, Kindinger TL, Oliver T. 2023. Spatiotemporal trends in benthic and reef fish communities in the Mariana Archipelago. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-PIFSC-152, 45p. 45. doi:10.25923/7efh-qt23	https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/56376
0	Online Resource	https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pacific-islands/ecosystems/coral-reefs-pacific
0	Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2024. GCMD Keywords, Version 19. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords	https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords
33	NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort.	https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/dmp/pdf/72575.pdf

A synthesis of benthic percent cover data in the Mariana Islands Archipelago covering a period of 22 years (2000-2022) and summarized at three spatial scales (archipelago-, island-, and sub-island-scales)

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