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OAS accession Detail for 0163745, meta_version: 11. Current meta_version is: 12
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Title: Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Towed-diver Surveys of Benthic Habitats, Key Benthic Species, and Marine Debris Sightings of the U.S. Pacific Reefs from 2000-09-09 to 2012-05-19 (NCEI Accession 0163745)
Abstract: The towed-diver method is used to conduct benthic surveys, assessing large-scale disturbances (e.g., bleaching) and quantifying benthic components such as habitat complexity/type and the general distribution and abundance patterns of live coral, CCA, macroalgae, and macroinvertebrates. Surveys are conducted in the Hawaiian and Mariana Archipelagos, American Samoa, and the Pacific Remote Island Areas as part of the NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). A suitable method for assessing relatively large areas of reef habitat, the method involves towing a pair of SCUBA divers—one benthic and one fish—behind a small boat for approximately 50 min following the ~15-m depth contour and covering about 2–3 km of habitat. Each diver is equipped with a towboard and attempts to maintain a constant elevation above the surface of the reef (~1 m) for the duration of the survey. A complete towed-diver survey is divided into 10, 5-min segments, with visual observations recorded by 5-min segment.

The visual estimate data provided in this dataset were collected during towed-diver surveys which includes percentage cover of total live hard corals, stressed hard corals, soft corals, sand, coralline algae, and macroalgae, and the number of individual macroinvertebrates (crown of thorns starfish (COTS), sea urchins, and giant clams). Benthic habitat complexity and type data are also collected as part of the survey with the following habitat type categories: continuous reef, spur and groove, patch reefs, rock boulders, pavement, rubble flat, sand flats, pinnacle, and wall.

The data were collected at coral reefs across all U.S.-affiliated regions as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) led missions since 2000.
Date received: 20170620
Start date: 20000909
End date: 20120519
Seanames: Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, North Pacific Ocean, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Philippine Sea, Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, South Pacific Ocean
West boundary: 142.4357507
East boundary: -154.8397903
North boundary: 28.4234
South boundary: -14.8784
Observation types: in situ, survey, survey - biological, survey - coral reef, survey - swimmer/diver, visual observation
Instrument types: GPS, swimmer/diver
Datatypes: biological data, DEBRIS, DEPTH - SENSOR, MACROINVERTEBRATE CENSUS, REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER, WATER TEMPERATURE
Submitter: Kanemura, Troy
Submitting institution: US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division; Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
Collecting institutions: US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division; Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
Contributing projects: CORAL REEF STUDIES, CRCP, Pacific RAMP
Platforms: Hi'ialakai (33HL), Oscar Elton Sette (33OC), Townsend Cromwell (31TC)
Number of observations:
Supplementary information: Submission Package ID: WUR9KB
Availability date:
Metadata version: 11
Keydate: 2017-06-27 18:55:18+00
Editdate: 2017-07-18 12:30:33+00