National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) of Reef Fish, including Benthic Estimate Data of the Hawaiian Archipelago since 2013

The stationary point count (SPC) method is used to conduct reef fish surveys 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). The SPC 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 collected during SPC surveys as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led NCRMP missions around the Main Hawaiian Islands in 2013, 2016, and 2019, 2024 and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2016 & 2024. Data collected as part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument funded research cruises in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2014, 2015, and 2017 are also included as these data are funded separately from but are complementary to the NCRMP-funded data. 

Additionally, data collected as part of a PIFSC-funded Reef Fish Survey cruise in the Main Hawaiian Islands in 2015 are included as these data are funded separately from but are complementary to the NCRMP-funded data. During the 2015 and cruise, some sites were surveyed using both open-circuit SCUBA (OC) and closed-circuit rebreather (CCR), as part of an ongoing assessment of sources of bias in survey count relating to divers' presence. The CCR data is archived separately.

Tags: 743, animals/vertebrates, aquatic habitat, biological classification, biosphere, central pacific ocean, coastal processes, coral cover, coral reef, coral reef conservation program, coral reef ecology, coral reef ecosystem division, coral reef ecosystem program, coral reef studies, coral reefs, corals, country/territory, cred, crep, doc/noaa/nmfs/pifsc, earth science, ecological dynamics, ecosystem sciences division, ecosystems, esd, fish, fish - coral reef, fish assemblages, fish census, fish species, french frigate shoals (24n166w0001), hawaii, hawaii island, hawaii island (19n155w0003), hawaiian archipelago, hawaiian islands, hawaiian islands (21n157w0027), hi'ialakai, honolulu, in situ, kahoolawe island, kahoolawe island (20n156w0001), kalawao, kauai, kauai island, kauai island (22n159w0001), kure atoll (28n178w0001), lanai island, lanai island (20n156w0002), laysan island (25n171w0001), lisianski island (25n173w0001), macroinvertebrate census, macroinvertebrates, main hawaiian islands, marine biology, marine ecosystems, marine invertebrates, maro reef (25n170w0001), maui, maui island, maui island (20n156w0004), mhi, midway atoll (28n177w0001), molokai island, molokai island (21n157w0001), national coral reef monitoring program, national marine fisheries service, niihau island, niihau island (21n160w0001), nmfs, noaa, north pacific ocean, northwestern hawaiian islands, numeric data sets, nwhi, oahu (21n157w0003), oahu island, ocean basin, oceans, oscar elton sette, pacific islands fisheries science center, pacific ocean, papahanaumokuakea marine national monument, pearl and hermes reef (27n176w0001), pifsc, pmnm, ramp, rapid assessment studies, rapid ecological assessment, rea, reef, reef and/or bottom regime - percent cover, reef assessment and monitoring program, reef fish, reef fish census, reef habitat, reef monitoring and assessment, rugosity, spc, species identification, species identification - count, species identification - organism length, species richness, stationary, stationary point count, survey - biological, survey - swimmer/diver, u.s. department of commerce, united states of america, us doc, visual estimate, visual observation, zoology
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce