CRED REA Benthic Parameter Assessment at Rose Atoll, American Samoa in 2008

Point-count surveys at 50-cm intervals were conducted along 2 consecutively placed, 25m line transect lines, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 12 sites around Rose Atoll in American Samoa from March 11 to 14, 2008 aboard the NOAA ship Hi'ialakai during the Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0802. Raw survey data consisted of counts of benthic elements, including but not limited to live coral, dead coral, carbonate pavement, sand, coral rubble, fleshy macroalgae, crustose coralline algae, turfalgae, as well as other sessile invertebrates along the two transects. All live benthic elements were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of percent live coral cover, as well as percent cover of the different benthic constituents.