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Benthic Surveys in Fagaʻalu, American Samoa: comprehensive assessment of coral demography (adult and juvenile corals) from belt transect surveys from 2020-01-15 to 2020-01-24 (NCEI Accession 0240418)

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The data described here result from benthic coral demographic surveys within belt transects of specified length and width for two life stages (juveniles and adults) in Fagaʻalu, American Samoa in 2020. The data provide information on adult coral colony counts, morphology, size, partial mortality (old and recent dead), presence and causation of disease and other compromised health conditions, including bleaching. Juvenile colony surveys include morphology and size. Taxonomic identification of adult colonies is to the species level and genus level for juveniles.

In 2020, the survey implemented a one-stage stratified random sampling (StRS) design to assess the Fagaʻalu coral reef community. The survey domain encompassed the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats in the 0–30 m depth range. The stratification scheme included cardinal position (i.e., north and south), reef zone (i.e., backreef and forereef) and depth (i.e., shallow: >0–6 m and mid-depth: >6–18 m). Sampling effort allocation was determined based on strata area and sites randomly located within strata. The StRS design effectively reduces estimate variance through stratification using environmental covariates and by sampling more sites rather than more transects per site. Therefore, site-to-site comparisons should proceed with caution.
  • Cite as: Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2021). Benthic Surveys in Fagaʻalu, American Samoa: comprehensive assessment of coral demography (adult and juvenile corals) from belt transect surveys from 2020-01-15 to 2020-01-24 (NCEI Accession 0240418). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0240418. Accessed [date].
gov.noaa.nodc:0240418
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Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
+1-301-713-3277
NCEI.Info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Time Period 2020-01-15 to 2020-01-24
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -170.68113
East: -170.67261
South: -14.29379
North: -14.28678
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
  • Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2017: Benthic Surveys in Faga'alu, American Samoa: comprehensive assessment of coral demography (adult and juvenile corals) from belt transect surveys in 2013, 2015, and 2020, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25369.
  • Baseline assessment of Faga'alu Watershed : a ridge to reef assessment in support of sediment reduction activities and future evaluation of their success
    • https://doi.org/10.7289/V5BK19C3
      Holst Rice, S., Messina, A., Biggs, T., Vargas-Angel, B., and D. Whitall. 2016. Baseline Assessment of Faga'alu Watershed: A Ridge to Reef Assessment in Support of Sediment Reduction Activities and Future Evaluation of their Success. Silver Spring, MD: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 23. 44 pp. https://doi.org/10.7289/V5BK19C3
  • Baseline surveys for coral reef community structure and demographics in Vatia and Faga'alu Bay, American Samoa
    • https://doi.org/10.7289/V5/SP-PIFSC-18-002
      Vargas-Angel, B., Schumacher, B.D. 2018. Baseline surveys for coral reef community structure and demographics in Vatia Bay and Faga'alu Bay, American Samoa. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC Special Publication, SP-18-002, 38 p. https://doi.org/10.7289/V5/SP-PIFSC-18-002
  • Status and Trends Assessment for Land-based Sources of Pollution Impacts on Benthic Reef Communities in Faga‘alu Bay, American Samoa
    • https://doi.org/10.25923/0gvj-zm69
      Vargas-Angel, B., Huntington, B. 2020. Status and Trends Assessment for Land-based Sources of Pollution Impacts on Benthic Reef Communities in Faga‘alu Bay, American Samoa. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-109, 38 p. https://doi.org/10.25923/0gvj-zm69
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2021-09-02
Data Presentation Form Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status Complete - production of the data has been completed
Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency As needed
Supplemental Information
Submission Package ID: JNRDF5
Purpose These data are part of a NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) funded project aimed at establishing baseline, status, and trends data for coral demographics and benthic cover and composition via Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys conducted by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) at Faga'alu Bay, Tutuila, American Samoa between 2012 and 2020. In August 2012 Faga’alu watershed in American Samoa was adopted by the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative as a priority site, with the objective to reduce inputs of land-based sources of pollution to nearby coastal areas and coral reefs within the watershed. As a result, the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) invested in 1) the collection of baseline data for corals in Faga’alu Bay (REA surveys conducted by NOAA Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD), and 2) the monitoring of sediment loads in Faga’alu Stream to document pre- and post-mitigation levels of sedimentation in the stream and the receiving waters below (conducted by San Diego State University). Led by the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, the overall goal of this capacity-building CRCP-funded project is to establish and eventually turn over the long-term monitoring to the local partners in the jurisdiction, thereby meeting the goals of the Watershed Partnership Initiative. An Erosion and Sediment Control Plan was implemented at Samoa Maritime quarry to reduce excess sedimentation from quarry operations, and mitigation actions from the Plan took place in 2014 to install retention basins designed to stem the input of excess sediments into Faga’alu Stream below the quarry. REA surveys conducted by CREP in 2012 and 2013 serve as the pre-mitigation baseline, and surveys conducted in 2015 by CREP and later by the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources serve to document the downstream effects (e.g., changes to the coral community) in Faga’alu Bay from the mitigation efforts to reduce the sediment loads upstream. Concurrent pre- and post-mitigation monitoring of turbidity and sediment load in Faga'alu is managed by San Diego State University via the CRCP-funded project titled, "Capacity Building for On-Island Impact Assessment of Sediment Load Reduction in Faga’alu Watershed, American Samoa". Long-term monitoring of the stream is transitioning to the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency.
Use Limitations
  • accessLevel: Public
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2021). Benthic Surveys in Fagaʻalu, American Samoa: comprehensive assessment of coral demography (adult and juvenile corals) from belt transect surveys from 2020-01-15 to 2020-01-24 (NCEI Accession 0240418). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0240418. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
  • Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Principal Investigators
Contributors
Resource Providers
Points of Contact
  • Brooke Olenski
    US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Honolulu Laboratory (PIFSC)
Publishers
Acknowledgments
  • Related Funding Agency: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
  • Numeric Data Sets > Biology
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Diseases > Bleaching
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Coral Mortality
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Damage Assessment > Pollution
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Baseline studies
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Belt Transect
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Coral Colony Size and Condition
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Rapid Assessment Studies
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords Provider Keywords
  • COLONY - RECENT MORTALITY CAUSE
  • CORAL - CONDITION EXTENT
  • CORAL - HEALTH CONDITION
  • CORAL - MORPHOLOGY
  • CORAL - MORTALITY
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Platform keywords Provider Platform Names
  • Shore based
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords Provider Instruments
  • survey -swimmer/diver
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS CoRIS Place Thesaurus
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Tutuila Island > Faga'alu (14S170W0005)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Pago Pago Harbor > Faga'alu (14S170W0005)
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords Provider Place Names
  • Faga'alu Bay, Tutuila, American Samoa
Project keywords NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS CRCP Project
  • 31259
  • Status and trends assessment for LBSP impacts on reef communities in Faga'alu Bay and Vatia Bay
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2021). Benthic Surveys in Fagaʻalu, American Samoa: comprehensive assessment of coral demography (adult and juvenile corals) from belt transect surveys from 2020-01-15 to 2020-01-24 (NCEI Accession 0240418). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0240418. Accessed [date].
Access Constraints
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees
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Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • 2021-09-02T23:43:11Z - NCEI Accession 0240418 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • Parameter or Variable: CORAL - CENSUS (measured); Units: counts; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Survey - swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Number of coral colonies of a specific taxon per survey area; Data Quality Method: Information.
  • Parameter or Variable: CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION (measured); Units: unitless; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: survey - swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Identification of all colonies per survey area to the lowest taxonomic level possible (species or genus); Data Quality Method: Information.
  • Parameter or Variable: CORAL - MORPHOLOGY (measured); Units: unitless; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: survey - swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Coral colony morphology -i.e. massive, branching, encrusting, etc. noted; Data Quality Method: Information.
  • Parameter or Variable: CORAL - COLONY SIZE (measured); Units: cm; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: survey - swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Coral colony maximum diameter measured to the nearest centimeter for adults and 5 millimeter for juveniles; Data Quality Method: Information.
  • Parameter or Variable: CORAL - MORTALITY (measured); Units: percent; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: survey -swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Partial colony mortality visually estimated as percent of the colony, in terms of old dead and recent dead; Data Quality Method: Information.
  • Parameter or Variable: COLONY - RECENT MORTALITY CAUSE (measured); Units: unitless; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: survey - swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Cause of recent mortality identified if possible; Data Quality Method: Information.
  • Parameter or Variable: CORAL - HEALTH CONDITION (measured); Units: unitless; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: survey - swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: The condition of each colony in terms of disease (not attributed to recent tissue loss) and bleaching was noted; Data Quality Method: Information.
  • Parameter or Variable: CORAL - CONDITION EXTENT (measured); Units: percent; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: survey - swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: The extent of condition visually estimated as percent of the colony affected by disease and/or bleaching; Data Quality Method: Information.
  • Parameter or Variable: CORAL - BLEACHING (measured); Units: rank; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: survey -swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Colony bleaching severity ranked from mild to acute (1= dim, 2 = pale/mottled, 3= stark white); Data Quality Method: Information.
  • Parameter or Variable: CORAL - CENSUS (measured); Units: unitless; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: survey - swimmer/diver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Colony configuration as a fragment or not; Data Quality Method: information.
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • swimmer/diver
  • visual observation
Last Modified: 2024-02-21T13:44:27Z
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