Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Rapid Ecological Assessments of Fish Belt Transect Surveys (BLT) at Coral Reef Sites across the Pacific Ocean from 2000 to 2009

Description

Belt transects (BLT) is one of the non-invasive underwater-survey methods to enumerate the diverse components of diurnally active shallow-water reef fish assemblages. At each REA survey sites, BLT fish surveys are conducted along 3 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines to quantify relatively small-bodied and abundant fishes. A pair of scuba diver-observers conducts parallel swims along the transect lines, recording size-class specific counts of all fishes encountered, to species-level where possible, within visually estimated but defined belt widths: 4 m wide for fishes > 20 cm TL (100 m2 area) on the initial swim-out, and 2 m wide for fishes < 20 cm TL (50 m2 area) on the subsequent swim back. Transects lines are typically set at depths of 10-15 m. Reef ledges and holes are visually searched. Stations are completed on all sides of the island/atoll, weather and sea conditions permitting. Raw survey data included species level abundance estimates.

Reef fish and benthic estimate data collected during BLT surveys can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
V0_FISH_REA_BLT.csv Unknown Observations from belt transect surveys of coral reef fishes by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted at various islands in the U.S. Pacific Islands Region from 2000 to 2009 Open resource
V0_FISH_REA_BLT.csv Unknown Observations from belt transect surveys of coral reef fishes by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted at various islands in the U.S. Pacific Islands Region from 2000 to 2009 Open resource
GCMD Keyword Forum Page Unknown 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 Open resource
GCMD Keyword Forum Page Unknown 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 Open resource
ncrmp_blt_fish_pacific Unknown Data have been translated by a third party to Darwin Core format and served via the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) Data Access portal: OBIS Dataset Title: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Science Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program, Rapid Ecological Assessments of Fish Belt Transect Surveys (BLT) at Coral Reef Sites across the Pacific Ocean from 2000 to 2009. DOI: 10.15468/tzr5bf OBIS Dataset ID: a54a77db-7b42-4101-8d71-1adec3dd4ed5 OBIS provides a portal or gateway to many datasets containing information on where and when marine species have been recorded. The datasets are integrated so you can search them all seamlessly by species name, higher taxonomic level, geographic area, depth, and time; and then map and find environmental data related to the locations. There are several ways to access OBIS data: (1) Mapper, (2) API, and (3) R package. The mapper allows you to visualize and inspect subsets of OBIS data. A variety of filters (taxonomic, geographic, time, data quality) is available and multiple layers can be combined in a single view. Layers can be downloaded as CSV files. Developers can access data through the OBIS API or the R package. Open resource
ncrmp_blt_fish_pacific Unknown Data have been translated by a third party to Darwin Core format and served via the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) Data Access portal: OBIS Dataset Title: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Science Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program, Rapid Ecological Assessments of Fish Belt Transect Surveys (BLT) at Coral Reef Sites across the Pacific Ocean from 2000 to 2009. DOI: 10.15468/tzr5bf OBIS Dataset ID: a54a77db-7b42-4101-8d71-1adec3dd4ed5 OBIS provides a portal or gateway to many datasets containing information on where and when marine species have been recorded. The datasets are integrated so you can search them all seamlessly by species name, higher taxonomic level, geographic area, depth, and time; and then map and find environmental data related to the locations. There are several ways to access OBIS data: (1) Mapper, (2) API, and (3) R package. The mapper allows you to visualize and inspect subsets of OBIS data. A variety of filters (taxonomic, geographic, time, data quality) is available and multiple layers can be combined in a single view. Layers can be downloaded as CSV files. Developers can access data through the OBIS API or the R package. Open resource
Citation URL Unknown NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) website. Open resource
Citation URL Unknown NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) website. Open resource
Full Metadata Record Unknown View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. Open resource
Full Metadata Record Unknown View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. Open resource
NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) PDF NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. Open resource
NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) PDF NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. Open resource
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Website Unknown Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage Open resource
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Website Unknown Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage Open resource
Citation URL Unknown Coral Reef Ecosystem Program website, Fish Ecology and Monitoring Open resource
Citation URL Unknown Coral Reef Ecosystem Program website, Fish Ecology and Monitoring Open resource
Citation URL Unknown Official NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website, Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP) project page. Open resource
Citation URL Unknown Official NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website, Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP) project page. Open resource
Citation URL Unknown NOAA PIFSC Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website, fish survey methods training page Open resource
Citation URL Unknown NOAA PIFSC Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website, fish survey methods training page Open resource
Citation URL Unknown NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program website, description of Belt Transect Method used to survey coral reef fishes (2007-Present). Open resource
Citation URL Unknown NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program website, description of Belt Transect Method used to survey coral reef fishes (2007-Present). Open resource

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