NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division, National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish in the U.S. Pacific Islands

Ivor Williams

doi:10.15468/tk1hwm

NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division, National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish in the U.S. Pacific Islands

Citation

Williams I, DesRochers A (2020). NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division, National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish in the U.S. Pacific Islands. Version 1.2. United States Geological Survey. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/tk1hwm accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-13.

Description

The stationary point count (nSPC) method is used by the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD; formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) to conduct reef fish surveys in the Hawaiian and Mariana Archipelagos, American Samoa, and the Pacific Remote Island Areas. The first iteration of the nSPC surveys were conducted as part of the Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) from 2008-2012. In 2013 the reef fish surveys, and Pacific RAMP, became part of the NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). The nSPC 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 (less than 30 m) hard-bottom habitats. Visual estimates of benthic cover and topographic complexity are also recorded, with benthic organisms grouped into broad functional categories (e.g., 'Hard Coral', 'Macroalgae'). A stratified random sampling (StRS) design is employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems throughout the U.S.-Pacific regions. For all regions, the survey domain encompasses the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats and the stratification includes island, reef zone, and depth, with the exception of the Main Hawaiian Islands that includes habitat structure type as well. Sampling effort is allocated based on strata area. Reef fish and benthic estimate data provided in this data set were primarily collected during ESD-led research cruises funded by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) as part of Pacific RAMP or NCRMP. Additionally, data collected during Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument led research cruises to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from 2007 to 2017, and PIFSC annual Reef Fish Survey cruises from 2014 to 2016 in Guam, the main Hawaiian Islands, and American Samoa, respectively, are also included as these data are funded separately from but are complementary to the CRCP-funded data.

Additional info

marine, harvest by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Geographic Coverages

Bibliographic Citations

Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2017). Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) of Reef Fish, including Benthic Estimate Data of the U.S. Pacific Reefs from 2008-01-27 to 2012-09-13 (NCEI Accession 0162472). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. - https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0162472
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument; Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2018). Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish at coral reef sites across the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from 2007-09-21 to 2012-08-19, including benthic estimate data from 2011 to 2012. (NCEI Accession 0178974). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. - https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0178974
NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division (2018). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish, including benthic estimate data of American Samoa. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. - https://doi.org/10.7289/v5tb1564
NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division (2018). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish, including benthic estimate data of the Pacific Remote Island Areas. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. - https://doi.org/10.7289/v58c9tkb
NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division (2018). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish, including benthic estimate data of the Mariana Archipelago. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. - https://doi.org/10.7289/v5c827m0
NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division (2018). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified random surveys (StRS) of reef fish, including benthic estimate data of the Hawaiian Archipelago. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. - https://doi.org/10.7289/v59c6vr5

Contacts

Ivor Williams
originator
position: Research Fish Biologist
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
email: ivor.williams@noaa.gov

Annette DesRochers
metadata author
position: Data Steward
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
email: annette.desrochers@noaa.gov

Abby Benson
publisher
position: Biologist
U.S. Geological Survey
email: albenson@usgs.gov

Sarah Bingo
processor
position: Data Manager
Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System
email: sarahr6@hawaii.edu

Tye Kindinger
administrative point of contact
position: Supervisory Coral Reef Ecosystems Researcher
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
email: tye.kindinger@noaa.gov

Jake Asher
administrative point of contact
position: Marine Ecosystems Research Specialist
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
email: jacob.asher@noaa.gov