Towed-Diver Observations in the Main Hawaiian Islands to Assess the Mass Coral Bleaching Event in November 2015

Description

A team from the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) deployed on a two-week research cruise in November 2015 to evaluate the impacts of the 2015 mass coral bleaching event in the Main Hawaiian Islands via towed-diver surveys. Areas surveyed included south Oahu, west Maui, Lana’i, and west Hawaii island. Over the course of 10 survey days, the team surveyed approximately 90 km of 15-m wide transects at depths ranging from 2 to 10 m. Data provided in this dataset include visual estimates recorded by towed divers of percentage of live coral that was pale and bleached, as well as presence/absence data of condition by generic composition. Analysis of observer data reveals estimates of live coral affected by the event (pale or bleached) show a regional mean of 38.8% (+/- 1.96% CI95), with large variation in impact apparent between transects on the same island separated by as little as 13 km. Additionally, instruments mounted on the towboards collected other in-situ data that are documented separately. A downward-facing DSLR camera with strobes collected photographic quadrat data by capturing an image of the benthos at 15-second intervals during the surveys. Oceanographic data was collected continuously throughout each survey with a suite of mounted sensors recording conductivity, temperature, depth, flourometry (chlorophyll-a), turbidity and dissolved oxygen. The towed-diver visual estimate data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

Resources

Name Format Description Link
33 NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/dmp/pdf/32588.pdf
0 Link to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program website https://coralreef.noaa.gov
0 Observations from towed-diver surveys of benthic habitat by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted around the Main Hawaiian Islands (HA1602) in 2015. https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157624
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/32588
0 Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov
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 Online Resource https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/towboard.php
0 Observations from towed-diver surveys of benthic habitat by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted around the Main Hawaiian Islands (HA1602) in 2015. https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157624
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/32588
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 Online Resource https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/towboard.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/32588.pdf
0 Observations from towed-diver surveys of benthic habitat by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted around the Main Hawaiian Islands (HA1602) in 2015. https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0157624
0 View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/32588
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 Online Resource https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/towboard.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/32588.pdf

Tags

  • hawaiian islands (21n157w0027)
  • bleaching resistance
  • lanai island (20n156w0002)
  • crep
  • lanai island
  • coral cover
  • hard coral cover dead percentage
  • doc/noaa/nmfs/pifsc
  • united states of america
  • reef monitoring and assessment
  • aquatic habitat
  • towed diver
  • corals
  • north pacific ocean
  • coral reef ecosystem division
  • oahu (21n157w0003)
  • pifsc
  • coral-bleaching
  • maui
  • biosphere
  • survey - coral reef
  • survey
  • ocean and climate change
  • oceans
  • maui island (20n156w0004)
  • 31075
  • photic zone corals
  • mhi
  • coral reef conservation program
  • reef and/or bottom regime - percent cover
  • maui island
  • hard coral cover
  • bleaching alert area
  • survey - biological
  • noaa
  • numeric data sets
  • hawaii
  • nmfs
  • hard coral cover live percentage
  • oahu island
  • biology
  • us doc
  • bleaching thermal stress
  • habitats
  • hawaii island (19n155w0003)
  • pacific islands fisheries science center
  • hawaii (21n160w0000)
  • u.s. department of commerce
  • earth science
  • tds
  • national marine fisheries service
  • hawaiian islands
  • coral diseases
  • tows
  • marine biology
  • coral communities
  • cred
  • honolulu
  • bleaching
  • survey - swimmer/diver
  • central pacific ocean
  • visual estimate
  • reef habitat
  • coral reef ecology
  • ocean basin
  • main hawaiian islands
  • towed-diver surveys
  • ecosystem sciences division
  • coral
  • coastal processes
  • hi'ialakai
  • coral mortality
  • zoology
  • coral reefs
  • observing and documenting predicted 2015/2016 mass coral bleaching events in hawaii
  • pacific ocean
  • towboard
  • country/territory
  • hawaii island
  • coral reef studies
  • coral reef ecosystem program

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