Structure from Motion (SfM) Coral (Adult and Juvenile) Annotations derived from Stratified Random Site (StRS) Imagery across the US Pacific from 2019 to 2023 for methods comparison

Coral adult and juvenile coral colony demographic data described in this dataset are derived from the GIS analysis of benthic photomosaic imagery. The source imagery was collected using a Structure from Motion (SfM) approach during in-water surveys conducted by divers, and is documented separately here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/63095. The data were collected as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) and Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD; formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) missions around the US Pacific from 2019 for method comparison. Refer to Lineage and URLs for links to publication.

The SfM surveys are part of the Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys for corals and fish conducted during ESD-led NCRMP missions. Surveys were conducted at sites randomly stratified across sub-island sectors and three depth strata (shallow: 0-6m, mid: 6-18m and deep: >18m). These sites represent a broad range of depths (1-25 m), habitat types (aggregate reef, patch reef, pavement, rock and boulder and rubble), coral cover, and diving conditions. Allocation of sampling effort was proportional to strata area and variance in coral density. 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.

During each survey, an 18m transect line was deployed along the isobath and photographed using underwater cameras while swimming in a back and forth swim pattern for later processing using an SfM approach. At depths of 1-20 m, SfM surveys were conducted over a 3 x 20m area and at depths > 20m, a 3 x 13m area was surveyed, both with the transect running down the middle of the survey area. The photographs were processed using Agisoft Metashape software to generate orthomosaic images that were analyzed in ArcGIS for juvenile and adult coral colony demographic metrics. Data was collected for each site within four 2.5m2 segments, each 1m wide, along the transect (at 0-2.5m, 5-7.5m, 10-12.5m, and 15-17.5m). At deeper sites where a 3 x 13m area was surveyed, only the first three segments were analyzed in ArcGIS. For each adult coral colony (> 5cm in diameter), maximum diameter, ID (to lowest taxonomic level), and estimated percent old mortality were recorded. Bleaching extent (% of living tissue with reduced pigmentation) and severity were also recorded. Juvenile coral colonies (0.7 to 5cm maximum diameter) were recorded within the first 1 m2 of the first 3 segments. For juvenile colonies, only ID and maximum diameter were recorded.

Tags: 743, aguihan, aguihan island (aguijan) (14n145e0006), aguihan island reefs, american samoa, american samoa (14s170w0000), asuncion island, asuncion island (19n145e0001), baker island, baker island (00n176w0001), benthic, biosphere, bleaching, central pacific ocean, cnmi, coastal processes, coastal waters of hawaii, commonwealth of the northern marianas islands, coral, coral - colony size, coral - species identification, coral communities, coral condition, coral demography, coral diseases, coral reef, coral reef conservation program, coral reef ecosystem division, coral reef ecosystem program, coral reef studies, coral reefs, corals, country/territory, cred, crep, derived products, doc/noaa/nmfs/pifsc, doc/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/esd, earth science, ecosystem sciences division, ecosystems, equatorial pacific ocean, esd, french frigate shoals (24n166w0001), gis product, guam, guam (13n144e0000), hawaii, hawaii (21n160w0000, hawaii (21n160w0000), hawaii island, hawaii island (19n155w0003, hawaii island (19n155w0003), hawaiian islands, hawaiian islands (21n157w0027), honolulu, howland island, howland island (00s176w0001, howland island (00s176w0001), in situ, jarvis island (00s160w0001), johnston atoll, johnston atoll (16n169w0001), kahoolawe island, kahoolawe island (20n156w0001), kalawao, kauai, kauai island, kauai island (22n159w0001, kauai island (22n159w0001), kingman reef (06n162w0001), kure atoll (28n178w0001), laboratory analysis, lanai island, lanai island (20n156w0002, lanai island (20n156w0002), line islands, lisianski island (25n173w0001), main hawaiian islands, manu'a group, mariana archipelago, marianas, marianas trench marine national monument, marine biology, marine ecosystems, maug, maug island, maug island (20n145e0001), maui, maui island, maui island (20n156w0004, maui island (20n156w0004), mhi, micronesia, molokai island, molokai island (21n157w0001), national coral reef monitoring program, national marine fisheries service, nearth science, niihau island, niihau island (21n160w0001), nmfs, noaa, north pacific ocean, northern mariana islands, northern mariana islands ( cnmi ) (18n146e0000), northwest pacific, northwestern hawaiian islands, northwestern hawaiian islands (28n178w0000), numeric data sets, nwhi, oahu (21n157w0003), oahu island, ocean, ocean basin, oceans, ofu island (14s169w0013), olosega island (14s169w0014), oscar elton sette, pacific islands fisheries science center, pacific ocean, pacific remote island areas, pacific remote islands marine national monument, pagan, pagan island, pagan island (18n145e0001), palmyra atoll (05n162w0001), papahanaumokuakea marine national monument, pearl and hermes reef (27n176w0001), photograph, photographic analysis, pifsc, pmnm, pria, primnm, rainier, ramp, reef, reef assessment and monitoring program, reef monitoring and assessment, rose atoll (14s168w0001), rose atoll marine national monument, rota, rota island, rota island ( luta ) (14n145e0007), saipan, saipan island, saipan island (15n145e0002), sarigan island, sarigan island (16n145e0003), scale, scleractinia (stony corals), sfm, south pacific ocean, structure from motion, survey - coral reef, swains atoll (11s171w0001), ta'u island (14s169w0012), tinian, tinian island (14n145e0005), tinian island reefs, tutuila island (14s170w0016), u.s. department of commerce, united states minor outlying islands, united states of america, us doc, usa minor outlying islands, wake atoll, wake atoll (19n167e0001), western pacific ocean, zoology
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce