Fish, Benthic and Urchin Survey Data from Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA), Maui, Hawaii since 2008 (NCEI Accession 0165015)

Data are summary fish, benthic and urchin data from belt transect surveys conducted by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD; formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) within the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA) in West Maui. Surveys were completed in 'rounds', each round being an intensive 4 day survey effort (occasionally with an additional day soon after) from 2009 to 2024. Also included are data gathered by Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (HDAR) in 2008 at the same locations and using the same survey design and methods. Each row represents a single survey of a 25-m haphazardly located transect within the KHFMA. All transects are included. Habitat types are SAG (shallow aggregate reef); DAG (deep aggregate reef); MMX (mixed mid-depth reef); SSG (shallow spur and groove); DSG (deep spur and groove); and SPA (shallow pavement). Benthic cover (%) is extracted from a photo-transect (25 photographs taken at 1-m intervals, 15+ points analyzed per photograph using image analysis software PhotoGrid or CoralNet). -9 values represent situations where images were either not gathered or not analyzed. Fishes are surveyed by means of a diver swimming outward and return swims along the same transect. On the outward swims, the diver records all fishes >15 cm total length (TL) within a 4-m wide belt centered on the diver; on the return swim, divers record fishes <15 cm TL within a 2-m wide belt. Fish species and size observations are converted to biomass (grams per square meter, or g/m^2) using species-specific length-weight conversion parameters. Urchins are counted on a 1-m wide belt centered on the transect line. Urchin density is calculated by the number per square meter (#/m^2).

Tags: 20482, 30102, 31349, 8na216, algae, algal cover, annual, aquatic habitat, belt transect, biology, biosphere, central pacific ocean, coastal processes, coral, coral cover, coral reef, coral reef ecology, coral reef ecosystem division, coral reef ecosystem program, coral reefs, corals, country/territory, cred, crep, crustose coralline algae, dar, determining whether herbivore-focused management strategies enhance critical ecosystem functions pro, division of aquatic resources, earth science, ecosystem monitoring and assessment, encrusting macroalgae, f200, f374, fish, fish assemblages, fish census, fisheries management area, fleshy macroalgae, hard coral cover, hawaii, hawaii division of aquatic resources, hawaiian islands, hdar, herbivory, in situ biological, kahekili, kahekili herbivore fisheries management area, lhj4p1, macroinvertebrate census, macroinvertebrates, marine biology, marine ecosystem, marine invertebrates, marine protected area, marine protected areas, maui, maui island, maui island (20n156w0004), monitoring, numeric data sets, ocean basin, oceanography, oceans, pacific islands fisheries science center, pacific ocean, photographic analysis, pifsc, quantifying processes that underpin recovery at kahekili herbivore fisheries management area, reef fish census, reef fishes, reef habitat, reef monitoring and assessment, scientific support for kahekili herbivore fisheries management area, turf algae, united states of america, vegetation, zoology
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce