National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Cover Derived from Analysis of Benthic Images Collected during Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) across American Samoa in 2015, 2018, and 2023.

Description

This data has been combined into a US Pacific-wide InPort record: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/77771. The data described here result from benthic photo-quadrat surveys conducted along transects at stratified random sites across the American Samoa in 2015, 2018, and 2023 as a part of Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys for corals and fish. Benthic habitat imagery were quantitatively analyzed using the Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe; Kohler and Gill, 2006) software from 2010-2014 and using the web-based annotation tool CoralNet (Beijbom et al. 2016) from 2015 to present. Images are analyzed to produce three functional group levels of benthic cover: Taxa identification occurs at three functional group levels of benthic cover. Tier 1 (e.g., coral, soft coral, macroalgae, turf algae, etc.), Tier 2 (e.g., Coral = massive hard coral, branching hard coral, foliose hard coral, encrusting hard coral, etc.; Macroalga = upright macroalgae), and Tier 3 (e.g., Coral = Astreopora sp, Favia sp, Pocillopora, etc.; Macroalgae = Caulerpa sp, Dictyosphaeria sp, Padina sp, etc.). If Tier 3 resolution is not possible, the next finest resolution is used. A stratified random sampling (StRS) design was employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems across the region. The survey domain encompassed the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats in the 0-30 m depth range. The stratification scheme included island, reef zone, and depth. Sampling effort was allocated based on strata area and sites were randomly located within strata. Sites were surveyed using photo-quadrats along transects to collect benthic imagery to ultimately produce estimates of relative abundance (benthic cover), frequency of occurrence, benthic community taxonomic composition and relative generic richness. The StRS design effectively reduces estimate variance through stratification using environmental covariates and by sampling more sites rather than sampling more transects at a site. Therefore, site-level estimates and site to site comparisons should be used with caution. The data from the benthic cover surveys can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
0 Image analysis data derived from photoquadrat benthic images at stratified random sites across American Samoa in 2015 by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157752
0 https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0240610
0 Image analysis data derived from photoquadrat benthic images at NCRMP Stratified Random Survey sites across American Samoa in 2023 by the NOAA Ecosystem Science Division (ESD) http://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0290482
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25274
0 Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
0 Link to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program website https://coralreef.noaa.gov
0 Coral Point Count with Excel Extensions (CPCe) Home Page https://cnso.nova.edu/cpce/
0 CoralNet Home Page https://coralnet.ucsd.edu/
0 NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) website. https://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/
0 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Website https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/pacific-islands#science
0 Online Resource https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/corals.php
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/dmp/pdf/25274.pdf
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
0 https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0240610
0 Image analysis data derived from photoquadrat benthic images at NCRMP Stratified Random Survey sites across American Samoa in 2023 by the NOAA Ecosystem Science Division (ESD) https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0290482
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25274
0 Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
0 Link to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program website https://coralreef.noaa.gov
0 Coral Point Count with Excel Extensions (CPCe) Home Page https://cnso.nova.edu/cpce/
0 CoralNet Home Page https://coralnet.ucsd.edu/
0 NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) website. https://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/
0 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Website https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/pacific-islands#science
0 Online Resource https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/corals.php
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/dmp/pdf/25274.pdf
0 Image analysis data derived from photoquadrat benthic images at stratified random sites across American Samoa in 2015 by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157752
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
0 Image analysis data derived from photoquadrat benthic images at stratified random sites across American Samoa in 2015 by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157752
0 https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0240610
0 Image analysis data derived from photoquadrat benthic images at NCRMP Stratified Random Survey sites across American Samoa in 2023 by the NOAA Ecosystem Science Division (ESD) https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0290482
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25274
0 Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
0 Link to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program website https://coralreef.noaa.gov
0 Coral Point Count with Excel Extensions (CPCe) Home Page https://cnso.nova.edu/cpce/
0 CoralNet Home Page https://coralnet.ucsd.edu/
0 NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) website. https://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/
0 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Website https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/pacific-islands#science
0 Online Resource https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/corals.php
0 Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. 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/25274.pdf
0 Image analysis data derived from photoquadrat benthic images at stratified random sites across American Samoa in 2015 by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157752
0 https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0240610
0 Image analysis data derived from photoquadrat benthic images at NCRMP Stratified Random Survey sites across American Samoa in 2023 by the NOAA Ecosystem Science Division (ESD) https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0290482
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25274
0 Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
0 Link to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program website https://coralreef.noaa.gov
0 Coral Point Count with Excel Extensions (CPCe) Home Page https://cnso.nova.edu/cpce/
0 CoralNet Home Page https://coralnet.ucsd.edu/
0 NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) website. https://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/
0 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Website https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/region/pacific-islands#science
0 Online Resource https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/corals.php
0 Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. 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/25274.pdf

Tags

  • benthic communities
  • crep
  • coral cover
  • ofu island (14s169w0013)
  • doc/noaa/nmfs/pifsc
  • united states of america
  • american samoa (14s170w0000)
  • reef monitoring and assessment
  • aquatic habitat
  • coral reef
  • corals
  • tridacna
  • benthic habitat
  • coral reef ecosystem division
  • benthic
  • marine plants
  • ecosystems
  • pifsc
  • photograph analysis
  • in situ biological
  • biosphere
  • photographic analysis
  • machine-learning algorithm
  • national coral reef monitoring program
  • community dynamics
  • tutuila island (14s170w0016)
  • oceans
  • rose atoll marine national monument
  • algae
  • coral reef conservation program
  • marine invertebrates
  • reef and/or bottom regime - percent cover
  • american samoa
  • hard coral cover
  • noaa
  • numeric data sets
  • coral point count
  • algal cover
  • nmfs
  • hard coral cover live percentage
  • baseline studies
  • macroinvertebrates
  • marine ecosystems
  • coralnet
  • sponges
  • doc/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/esd
  • quadrat monitoring
  • swains atoll (11s171w0001)
  • us doc
  • rainier
  • ta'u island (14s169w0012)
  • pacific islands fisheries science center
  • manu'a group
  • olosega island (14s169w0014)
  • u.s. department of commerce
  • earth science
  • benthic biology
  • national marine fisheries service
  • seagrass
  • vegetation
  • olosega island
  • ramp
  • crustose coralline algae
  • marine biology
  • coral communities
  • cred
  • mollusks
  • encrusting macroalgae
  • microbiota
  • benthos analysis
  • amsm
  • point counts
  • 743
  • photograph
  • blue-green algae
  • visual estimate
  • transect monitoring
  • ofu (14s169w0002)
  • reef habitat
  • derived products
  • reef assessment and monitoring program
  • ofu island
  • coral reef ecology
  • ocean basin
  • ecosystem sciences division
  • coral
  • esd
  • coastal processes
  • octocoral cover
  • reef
  • olosega (14s169w0016)
  • zoology
  • coral reefs
  • rose atoll (14s168w0001)
  • pacific ocean
  • rapid assessment studies
  • ecological dynamics
  • country/territory
  • belt transect
  • turf algae
  • robot-assisted annotations
  • south pacific ocean
  • coral reef studies
  • coral reef ecosystem program

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