Pacific Reef Monitoring and Assessment Program: Line-Point-Intercept (LPI) Surveys for Benthic Cover at Coral Reef Sites across the Pacific Ocean from 2005 to 2012

Description

A REA survey is a collection of inter-disciplinary protocols for gathering data pertaining to ecologically relevant biological components of a reef habitat over small spatial scales. A key facet of a REA survey includes specialists in different disciplines, including Fish, Coral, Algae, and Invertebrates. The REA surveys are conducted along a set of transect lines that are laid out by the first team to enter the water (i.e. the fish team). In this way, all of the biotic observations are referenced with regard to the same spatial coordinates, producing a more integrated biological description of a reef community than would any single, specialized survey. At each REA survey site, the Line-Point-Intercept methodology is implemented to quantitatively document the benthic cover along two consecutively placed, 25 m line transects (with a 5 m inter-transect distance). The LPI diver determines the benthic composition at pre-determined intervals along the transect line. During the initial years of RAMP (2005-2008) LPI surveys were conducted at 50-cm intervals for a total of 50 data points per transect; subsequently (2010–2012) LPI surveys were conducted at 20-cm intervals for a total of 125 data points per transect. All living benthic elements (e.g., coral, algae, and other sessile invertebrates) are identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible, often substituting functional group categories for turf algae and crustose coralline algae when identification in the field is extremely difficult. Raw survey data consist 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. The data allows for the assessment and monitoring of community structure and composition, and provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of percent benthic cover at higher taxonomic levels like functional group (live coral, macroalgae, turf algae) or on a finer taxonomic resolution such as genus level.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
0 Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
0 Overview of NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) benthic monitoring efforts https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/benthic_monitoring.php
0 Observations from LPI surveys conducted by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) across the U.S. Pacific Reefs from 2005 - 2012. https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0163748
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/dmp/pdf/25261.pdf
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25261
0 Link to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program website https://coralreef.noaa.gov
0 Overview of NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) survey methods https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/survey_methods.php#benthic_monitoring_rea
0 Official NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website, Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP) project page. https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/pacific_ramp.php
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 Observations from LPI surveys conducted by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) across the U.S. Pacific Reefs from 2005 - 2012. https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0163748
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25261
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 Official NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website, Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP) project page. https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/pacific_ramp.php
0 Overview of NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) benthic monitoring efforts https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/benthic_monitoring.php
0 Overview of NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) survey methods https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/survey_methods.php#benthic_monitoring_rea
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/25261.pdf
0 Observations from LPI surveys conducted by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) across the U.S. Pacific Reefs from 2005 - 2012. https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0163748
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25261
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 Official NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website, Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP) project page. https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/pacific_ramp.php
0 Overview of NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) benthic monitoring efforts https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/benthic_monitoring.php
0 Overview of NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) survey methods https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/survey_methods.php#benthic_monitoring_rea
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/25261.pdf

Tags

  • hawaiian islands (21n157w0027)
  • guguan island
  • agrihan island (18n145e0002)
  • lanai island (20n156w0002)
  • farallon de pajaros (20n144e0001)
  • kingman reef (06n162w0001)
  • crep
  • lanai island
  • coral cover
  • ofu island (14s169w0013)
  • doc/noaa/nmfs/pifsc
  • united states of america
  • american samoa (14s170w0000)
  • western pacific ocean
  • pacific remote islands marine national monument
  • alamagan island (17n145e0002)
  • reef monitoring and assessment
  • maug
  • johnston atoll (16n169w0001)
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  • wake atoll
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  • north pacific ocean
  • rose island
  • coral reef ecosystem division
  • baker island
  • oahu (21n157w0003)
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  • jarvis island (00s160w0001)
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  • maug island
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  • pacific reef and assessment monitoring program (pacific ramp)
  • rota island
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  • rose atoll marine national monument
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  • oscar elton sette
  • rota island ( luta ) (14n145e0007)
  • molokai island
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  • reef and/or bottom regime - percent cover
  • northern mariana islands ( cnmi ) (18n146e0000)
  • rose island (rose atoll) (14s168w0001)
  • american samoa
  • maui island
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  • papahanaumokuakea marine national monument
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  • kauai
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  • pacific islands fisheries science center
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  • marianas trench marine national monument
  • pagan
  • benthos analysis
  • survey - swimmer/diver
  • aguihan island (aguijan) (14n145e0006)
  • central pacific ocean
  • usa minor outlying islands
  • agrihan island
  • commonwealth of the northern mariana islands
  • mariana islands
  • pacific reef assessment and monitoring program: monitoring coral reef ecosystems of the us pacific i
  • transect monitoring
  • kure atoll (28n178w0001)
  • pagan island
  • asuncion island
  • nw pacific
  • coral reef ecology
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  • c204 pacific reef assessment and monitoring program (pacific ramp): biennial monitoring for the us p
  • ecosystem sciences division
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  • laysan island (25n171w0001)
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  • 587
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  • coral reef studies
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