FBSAD Reef Fish-HABITAT Quadrat Surveys at Hawaii Island (Big Island, Main Hawaiian Islands), 2006 and 2007; Kaneohe Bay (Oahu, Main Hawaiian Islands), 2007 only; and Midway Atoll (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands), 2006 and 2007 (NODC Accession 0056602)
Description
Habitat quadrats were surveyed at 1 to 5 m depths using transects conducted at a total seven (7) sites: (1-2) at 2 longshore sites on the leeward coast (South Kohala district) of the Big Island (Hawaii Island, in the MHI) during spring 2006 and spring-summer 2007; (3) at 1 site-group encompassing multiple patch reefs of south, central, and north Kaneohe Bay (Oahu, MHI) in spring 2007; (4-5) at 2 longshore sites on the back reef of Midway Atoll (NWHI) in spring 2006 and spring-summer 2007; and (6-7) at 2 site-groups encompassing multiple patch reefs in the Welles Harbor region of the lagoon of Midway Atoll (NWHI) in spring-summer 2007. Substratum cover and rugosity were characterized within multiple quadrats at each site. Two types of quadrats were surveyed: "Reference" ('REF') quadrats (whose positions were randomly selected) and "Target" ('TAR') quadrats (positions centered on sightings of recruit fishes); each quadrat was square and 1-m**2 area. In each quadrat, the benthic cover of each of ten (10) major substratum types were estimated, as was a "Rugosity Index" based on the ratio of conforming-to-straight line distances along both major axes of the quadrat.