National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Images Collected from Stratified Random Sites (StRS) across the Hawaiian Archipelago since 2013

The data described here are benthic habitat imagery (color-corrected photographs) from benthic photo-quadrat surveys conducted along transects at stratified random sites by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD)--formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division--as part of the NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). The photo-quadrat surveys are part of Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys for corals and fish conducted during ESD-led NCRMP missions across the Hawaiian Archipelago in 2013, 2016, 2015, and 2019, and 2024. In 2015, there was also a NCRMP (formerly known as RAMP) mission led by the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM) (HA1505) to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI).


A stratified random sampling (StRS) design was employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems across the Hawaiian Archipelago. 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 island, reef zone, and depth in all regions, as well as habitat structure type in the Main Hawaiian Islands.  Allocation of sampling effort was proportional to strata area and variance in coral density. Sites were surveyed using photo-quadrats along transects to collect benthic imagery to ultimately produce estimates of relative abundance (percent cover), frequency of occurrence, benthic community taxonomic composition and relative generic richness.

The StRS design effectively reduces estimate variance through stratification using environmental covariates and by sampling more sites rather than sampling more transects at a site.  Therefore, site-level estimates and site to site comparisons should be used with caution.

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Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce