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Billfish Larval Data from Plankton Tows Conducted off the Kona Coast in West Hawaiʻi between 1997 and 2018 (NCEI Accession 0306183)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 03, 2026 at 05:06 AM | Dataset Last Updated: August 19, 2025 at 12:00 AM
This is a 20-year (1997-2018) dataset of neustonic ichthyoplankton collections from West Hawaiʻi and beyond focusing on four species of billfishes (Blue Marlin, a'u, (Makaira nigricans), Striped Marlin, a'u, (Kajikia audax), Shortbilled Spearfish, a'u, (Tetrapturus angustirostris), and Swordfish, a'u ku, (Xiphias gladius)). We compiled observations of billfish larvae over this 20- year period (from 998 discrete ichthyoplankton tows in West Hawaii), and provide specimen information and species level identifications for many of these larvae using both existing and new genetic assignments. Additionally, we filtered these data to tows with consistent methodologies revealing 1761 larval billfishes (from 771 discrete surface tows in West Hawaii). We also constructed a thorough dataset of environmental variables (temperature, salinity, chlorophyll) associated with each occurrence of larval billfish and all absences using oceanographic data collected in-situ during cruises and satellite data. We present the first complete multispecies larval billfish dataset with coupled environmental data in the Pacific Islands Region ready for statistical analysis. This dataset will be critical for improving our understanding of how oceanographic features and environmental changes will affect larval growth, survival, and ultimately population replenishment.

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0306183 CHLOROPHYLL A CHLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRATION FLUORESCENCE HABITAT ICHTHYOPLANKTON LENGTH SALINITY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE

Complete Metadata
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description This is a 20-year (1997-2018) dataset of neustonic ichthyoplankton collections from West Hawaiʻi and beyond focusing on four species of billfishes (Blue Marlin, a'u, (Makaira nigricans), Striped Marlin, a'u, (Kajikia audax), Shortbilled Spearfish, a'u, (Tetrapturus angustirostris), and Swordfish, a'u ku, (Xiphias gladius)). We compiled observations of billfish larvae over this 20- year period (from 998 discrete ichthyoplankton tows in West Hawaii), and provide specimen information and species level identifications for many of these larvae using both existing and new genetic assignments. Additionally, we filtered these data to tows with consistent methodologies revealing 1761 larval billfishes (from 771 discrete surface tows in West Hawaii). We also constructed a thorough dataset of environmental variables (temperature, salinity, chlorophyll) associated with each occurrence of larval billfish and all absences using oceanographic data collected in-situ during cruises and satellite data. We present the first complete multispecies larval billfish dataset with coupled environmental data in the Pacific Islands Region ready for statistical analysis. This dataset will be critical for improving our understanding of how oceanographic features and environmental changes will affect larval growth, survival, and ultimately population replenishment.
distribution 
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identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions/iso/xml/0306183.xml
issued 2025-07-14T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
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  "CHLOROPHYLL A",
  "CHLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRATION",
  "FLUORESCENCE",
  "HABITAT",
  "ICHTHYOPLANKTON LENGTH",
  "SALINITY",
  "SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE",
  "SPECIES IDENTIFICATION",
  "SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - LIFE STAGE",
  "WATER TEMPERATURE",
  "flow meter",
  "fluorometer",
  "microscope",
  "net - plankton net",
  "Niskin bottle",
  "satellite sensor - active microwave",
  "satellite sensor - visible to infrared",
  "thermosalinograph",
  "visual observation",
  "biological",
  "in situ",
  "laboratory analyses",
  "satellite data",
  "NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette",
  "NOAA Ship Townsend Cromwell",
  "Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research",
  "NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division",
  "NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
  "Coastal Waters of Hawaii",
  "North Pacific Ocean",
  "oceanography",
  "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",
  "West Hawai'i Ichthyoplankton Time Series Project",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > PROTISTS > PLANKTON",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > CHLOROPHYLL",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN OPTICS > FLUORESCENCE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > WATER TEMPERATURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SALINITY/DENSITY > SALINITY",
  "CHLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRATION- 8 day mean",
  "Lunar Illumination",
  "Modelled Salinity",
  "Water Volume",
  "distance to shore",
  "FLUOROMETERS > FLUOROMETERS",
  "MICROSCOPES > MICROSCOPES",
  "NISKIN BOTTLES",
  "PLANKTON NETS",
  "THERMOSALINOGRAPHS",
  "VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS",
  "R package",
  "computer",
  "Ships",
  "OSCAR ELTON SETTE (call sign: WTEE, ICES code: 33OC, 2003-)",
  "TOWNSEND CROMWELL (ICES code: 31TC)",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN",
  "J74D4J"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
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license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2025-08-19T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
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rights otherRestrictions
spatial -155.5387,18.7045,-157.3284,20.87203
temporal 1997-04-12T00:00:00+00:00/2018-07-19T00:00:00+00:00
theme 
[
  "geospatial"
]
title Billfish Larval Data from Plankton Tows Conducted off the Kona Coast in West Hawaiʻi between 1997 and 2018 (NCEI Accession 0306183)

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