A synthesis of benthic percent cover data in the Mariana Islands Archipelago covering a period of 22 years (2000-2022) and summarized at three spatial scales (archipelago-, island-, and sub-island-scales) (NCEI Accession 0299811)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 27, 2026 at 09:31 PM | Dataset Last Updated: December 19, 2024 at 12:00 AM

The benthic percent cover data described in this record is a result of a synthesizing effort led by the Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) to integrate benthic cover data collected during the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) surveys in the Mariana Islands Archipelago with surveys carried out by jurisdictional partners in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The raw benthic cover data is derived from already archived NCRMP surveys and private partner data. This project covers a period of over 20 years (2000-2022) and was funded by the CRCP Project #31364, titled "Synthesizing data to assess temporal trends in benthic and reef fish communities across the Mariana archipelago". Benthic percent cover was estimated for six categories (i.e., calcified, non-calcified, algae, turf, crustose coralline algae, and coral) and produced at three spatial scales: across the archipelago (populated islands versus remote islands), at each populated island (Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan) and some remote islands, and for each downscaled sectors (10 sectors in Guam, four in Rota, four in Tinian, and 9 in Saipan). These estimates were primarily generated from benthic substrate photographs and using the line-point intercept methodology. Benthic substrate photographs are commonly taken along a 30-m transect at every meter at each site and are then analyzed using the web-based annotation tool. The line-point-intercept methodology consists of consecutively placing 25-m line transects (with a usually 5-m inter-transect distance) to determine the benthic composition at predetermined intervals along the transect line.

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description	The benthic percent cover data described in this record is a result of a synthesizing effort led by the Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) to integrate benthic cover data collected during the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) surveys in the Mariana Islands Archipelago with surveys carried out by jurisdictional partners in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The raw benthic cover data is derived from already archived NCRMP surveys and private partner data. This project covers a period of over 20 years (2000-2022) and was funded by the CRCP Project #31364, titled "Synthesizing data to assess temporal trends in benthic and reef fish communities across the Mariana archipelago". Benthic percent cover was estimated for six categories (i.e., calcified, non-calcified, algae, turf, crustose coralline algae, and coral) and produced at three spatial scales: across the archipelago (populated islands versus remote islands), at each populated island (Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan) and some remote islands, and for each downscaled sectors (10 sectors in Guam, four in Rota, four in Tinian, and 9 in Saipan). These estimates were primarily generated from benthic substrate photographs and using the line-point intercept methodology. Benthic substrate photographs are commonly taken along a 30-m transect at every meter at each site and are then analyzed using the web-based annotation tool. The line-point-intercept methodology consists of consecutively placing 25-m line transects (with a usually 5-m inter-transect distance) to determine the benthic composition at predetermined intervals along the transect line.
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identifier	https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions/iso/xml/0299811.xml
issued	2024-12-13T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword	[ "0299811", "BENTHIC COMMUNITIES", "BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA IDENTITIES", "biological data", "CORAL", "HABITAT - BENTHIC", "REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER", "photograph", "swimmer/diver", "imagery", "in situ", "laboratory analyses", "survey - biological", "survey - coral reef", "visual observation", "NOAA Ship Hi'ialakai", "NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette", "NOAA Ship Rainier", "NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division", "NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center", "Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)", "CORAL REEF STUDIES", "National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP)", "Northwest Pacific Ocean (limit-180)", "Philippine Sea", "oceanography", "CRED", "CREP", "Coral Reef Ecosystem Division", "Coral Reef Ecosystem Program", "ESD", "Ecosystem Sciences Division", "PIFSC", "Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center", "RAMP", "Reef Asessment and Monitoring Program", "DOC/NOAA/NMFS > National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce", "DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC/ESD > Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce", "31364", "Synthesizing data to assess temporal trends in benthic and reef-fish communities across the Mariana archipelago", "Numeric Data Sets > Benthic", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algal Cover", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Crustose Coralline Algae", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Turf Algae", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Linear Transect (point)", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect monitoring", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Sponges", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC", "EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS", "decades", "Ships", "Hi'ialakai (call sign: WTEY, ICES code: 33HL, 2004-)", "OSCAR ELTON SETTE (call sign: WTEE, ICES code: 33OC, 2003-)", "RAINIER (call sign: WTEF, ICES code: 315R, 1968-)", "small boat", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Agrihan Island > Agrihan Island (18N145E0002)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Aguihan > Aguihan Island (Aguijan) (14N145E0006)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Alamagan Island > Alamagan Island (17N145E0002)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Asuncion Island > Asuncion Island (19N145E0001)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Farallon de Pajaros > Farallon de Pajaros (20N144E0001)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Guguan > Guguan Island (17N145E0001)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Maug > Maug Island (20N145E0001)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Northern Mariana Islands > Northern Mariana Islands ( CNMI ) (18N146E0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Pagan > Pagan Island (18N145E0001)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Rota > Rota Island ( Luta ) (14N145E0007)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Saipan > Saipan Island (15N145E0002)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Sarigan Island > Sarigan Island (16N145E0003)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Tinian > Tinian Island (14N145E0005)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Guam > Santa Rosa Bank (12N144E0051)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Agrihan Island > Agrihan Island (18N145E0002)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Aguihan Island Reefs > Aguihan Island (Aguijan) (14N145E0006)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Alamagan Island > Alamagan Island (17N145E0002)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Asuncion Island > Asuncion Island (19N145E0001)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Farallon de Pajaros > Farallon de Pajaros (20N144E0001)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Guam > Santa Rosa Bank (12N144E0051)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Guguan Island > Guguan Island (17N145E0001)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Mariana Archipelago > Northern Mariana Islands ( CNMI ) (18N146E0000)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Maug Island > Maug Island (20N145E0001)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Pagan Island > Pagan Island (18N145E0001)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Rota Island > Rota Island ( Luta ) (14N145E0007)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Saipan Island > Saipan Island (15N145E0002)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Sarigan Island > Sarigan Island (16N145E0003)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Tinian Island Reefs > Tinian Island (14N145E0005)", "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN", "CNMI", "Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands", "Guam", "Mariana Archipelago", "Mariana Islands", "Marianas", "BH6W1A" ]
landingPage	https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language	[]
license	https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified	2024-12-19T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher	{ "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information", "@type": "org:Organization" }
references	[ "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/72575", "https://doi.org/10.25923/7efh-qt23", "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/47788", "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36156", "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36153", "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25261", "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/47784", "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36147", "https://coast.noaa.gov/coral_storage/library/NOAA/CRCP/NOS/OCM/Projects/31225/NA19NOS4820052/Perez2021_NA19NOS4820052_CNMI_StateOfTheReef_Report_2020-2021.pdf" ]
rights	otherRestrictions
spatial	146.02,13.24,144.63,20.02
temporal	2000-01-01T00:00:00+00:00/2022-12-31T00:00:00+00:00
theme	[ "geospatial" ]
title	A synthesis of benthic percent cover data in the Mariana Islands Archipelago covering a period of 22 years (2000-2022) and summarized at three spatial scales (archipelago-, island-, and sub-island-scales) (NCEI Accession 0299811)

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