Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Rapid Ecological Assessments of Fish Large-Area Stationary Point Count Surveys (SPC) at Coral Reef Sites across the Pacific Ocean from 2000 to 2007

Description

The large-area stationary point count (SPC) method is used to conduct reef fish surveys in the Hawaiian and Mariana Archipelagos, American Samoa, and the Pacific Remote Island Areas as part of NOAA's Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP). The SPC method catalogs the diversity (species richness), abundance (numeric density) and biomass (fish mass per unit area) of diurnally active reef fish assemblages in shallow-water (typically 10-15m, always < 30m) hard-bottom habitats.

Stationary Point Counts (SPC) is one of non-invasive underwater-survey methods to enumerate the diverse components of diurnally active shallow-water reef fish assemblages. At each REA survey sites, SPC fish surveys are conducted at 4 stations in conjunction with, but at least 10 m away from 3 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines to quantify relatively larger (>25 cm Total Length [TL]) and more vagile fish species. All fishes >25 cm TL are recorded to species-level that enter a 20 m diameter cylinder (area ~314 m2) during a timed 5 minute count. Individuals or groups are estimated to the nearest 5 cm TL size-class bin. Four replicate, 5 minute cylinder counts are conducted at each station. Care is taken to avoid over-counting large transient or schooling species. Transects lines and stations 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 SPC surveys can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
V0_FISH_REA SPC.csv Unknown Observations from stationary point count 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 2007 Open resource
V0_FISH_REA SPC.csv Unknown Observations from stationary point count 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 2007 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
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
pifsc_spc_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: Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Rapid Ecological Assessments of Fish Large-Area Stationary Point Count Surveys (SPC) at Coral Reef Sites across the Pacific Ocean from 2000 to 2007. DOI: 10.15468/gbblof OBIS Dataset ID: 36693923-2abf-4237-8154-8016f32844a0 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
pifsc_spc_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: Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Rapid Ecological Assessments of Fish Large-Area Stationary Point Count Surveys (SPC) at Coral Reef Sites across the Pacific Ocean from 2000 to 2007. DOI: 10.15468/gbblof OBIS Dataset ID: 36693923-2abf-4237-8154-8016f32844a0 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
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
Coral Reefs in the Pacific Unknown NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands website. Open resource
Coral Reefs in the Pacific Unknown NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands website. 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

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