Fish count data from the Caroline Islands and the Federal States of Micronesia collected from 2012-2014 (NCEI Accession 0278036)

Acquisition Description:
Surveys were conducted using snorkel on the reef crest and the reef table, in shallow sites at depths between 1.5 and 3 meters.

Fish community characterization

All fish were identified to the species level and counted along 50 m transects, in the same habitat and area as the quadrats, parallel to the reef crest and in 1.5-5 m in depth. The transect count area extended from the sea floor to the surface of the water column and consisted of at least two 50 m long swaths surveyed sequentially at each site. For all transects in all years, the same diver Hirst counted mobile fish on a 5 m wide swath, before returning along the same transect and counting cryptic benthic fishes on a 1 m wide swath. The total lengths of all fishes were estimated to the nearest cm. For analysis of fish community structure, fish species were classified into one of Hive trophic guilds: 1. herbivores, 2. planktivores, 3. corallivores, 4. carnivores, and 5. piscivores. Species that have a wider trophic range (omnivores) were categorized by their main food preference according to the 5 categories mentioned above. Biomass was estimated using the published length/weight relationships most appropriate for the region (Adam et al., 2011; Froese & Pauly, 2000; Kulbicki et al., 2005). Sharks and large rays were occasionally seen on transects, but their overall low abundance makes band transects a poor approach to estimate their actual numbers and contribution to biomass. Therefore elasmobranchs were recorded, but not included in our calculations here.