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Dominant Benthic Structure and Biological Cover Habitat Maps for West Maui and West Hawaii

Published by Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 02, 2026 at 11:20 PM | Dataset Last Updated: January 01, 2016 at 12:00 AM
Benthic habitat maps depict dominant substrate type and biological cover in depths between 0 and ~150 m for two priority sites in the Main Hawaiian Islands; the NOAA Habitat Blueprint West Hawaii Focus Area (WHFA) and the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) West Maui priority watersheds. The primary data source for these maps was a 5-m resolution bathymetry synthesis grid, collected from a number of sources and maintained by the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH) Hawaii Mapping Research Group (HMRG). Geomorphic derivatives of slope, slope of slope, rugosity and curvature were created from the bathymetry grid using the Benthic Terrain Modeler (https://esriurl.com/5754) in ArcGIS. New optical seafloor imagery was collected by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) to produce these maps, and seafloor imagery was also provided from a number of partners including the United States Geological Survey (USGS) the Nature Conservancy, NOAA Biogeography group and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. All images were visually analyzed by CREP to classify dominant substrate type and biological cover. A Principle Component Analysis performed in ArcGIS removed highly correlated information from the suite of geomorphic surfaces derived from the bathymetry synthesis grid. This was followed by an unsupervised classification using the Iso Cluster Classification tool in ArcGIS. The resulting image was examined and manually corrected using the classification data from the analyzed seafloor imagery as validation. The resulting benthic habitat map delineates eight dominant substrates (Complex Reef, Boulder, Rubble, Mixed Substrate, Pavement, Sand, Mud, and Manmade) and six dominant biological cover types (Coral, Coralline Algae, Turf Algae, Macroalgae, Uncolonized and Unclassified) that extend from the shoreline to ~150 m.

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467 Mapping and EcoSpatial Information Products to Support Coral Reef Ecosystem Management in the Pacific Islands Region Geographic Information > Habitats EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algae Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algal Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Coralline Algae

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "Akridge, Michael W",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:michael.akridge@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description Benthic habitat maps depict dominant substrate type and biological cover in depths between 0 and ~150 m for two priority sites in the Main Hawaiian Islands; the NOAA Habitat Blueprint West Hawaii Focus Area (WHFA) and the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) West Maui priority watersheds. The primary data source for these maps was a 5-m resolution bathymetry synthesis grid, collected from a number of sources and maintained by the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH) Hawaii Mapping Research Group (HMRG). Geomorphic derivatives of slope, slope of slope, rugosity and curvature were created from the bathymetry grid using the Benthic Terrain Modeler (https://esriurl.com/5754) in ArcGIS. New optical seafloor imagery was collected by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) to produce these maps, and seafloor imagery was also provided from a number of partners including the United States Geological Survey (USGS) the Nature Conservancy, NOAA Biogeography group and the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. All images were visually analyzed by CREP to classify dominant substrate type and biological cover. A Principle Component Analysis performed in ArcGIS removed highly correlated information from the suite of geomorphic surfaces derived from the bathymetry synthesis grid. This was followed by an unsupervised classification using the Iso Cluster Classification tool in ArcGIS. The resulting image was examined and manually corrected using the classification data from the analyzed seafloor imagery as validation. The resulting benthic habitat map delineates eight dominant substrates (Complex Reef, Boulder, Rubble, Mixed Substrate, Pavement, Sand, Mud, and Manmade) and six dominant biological cover types (Coral, Coralline Algae, Turf Algae, Macroalgae, Uncolonized and Unclassified) that extend from the shoreline to ~150 m.
distribution 
[
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "WestHawaii_dominant.zip",
    "format": "ZIP",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Zip file containing dominant substrate and dominant biological cover data (shapefile and LYR files) and maps (PDF and JPG) for the Habitat Blueprint West Hawaii Focus Area.",
    "downloadURL": "ftp://ftp.soest.hawaii.edu/pibhmc/website/data/mhi/benthichabitatlayers/WestHawaii_dominant.zip",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "WestMaui_dominant.zip",
    "format": "ZIP",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Zip file containing dominant substrate and dominant biological cover data (shapefile and LYR files) and maps (JPG and PDF) for the West Maui priority area.",
    "downloadURL": "ftp://ftp.soest.hawaii.edu/pibhmc/website/data/mhi/benthichabitatlayers/WestMaui_dominant.zip",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "GCMD Keyword Forum Page",
    "accessURL": "https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2026. GCMD Keywords, Version 24. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Full Metadata Record",
    "accessURL": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/32811",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset.",
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identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/nmfs/pifsc/iso/xml/32811.xml
issued 2016-01-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
[
  "467",
  "Mapping and EcoSpatial Information Products to Support Coral Reef Ecosystem Management in the Pacific Islands Region",
  "Geographic Information > Habitats",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algae Cover",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algal Cover",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Coralline Algae",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Turf Algae",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > GIS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Mapping > Habitat Mapping",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Mapping > geomorphology Mapping",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Mapping",
  "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 > Habitats",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine algae",
  "SUBSTRATE DESCRIPTION",
  "GIS product",
  "benthic",
  "Coral Reef Conservation Program",
  "US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division; Coral Reef Ecosystem Program",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Auau Channel > AuAu Channel (20N156W0027)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Hawaii (21N160W0000)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Kohala Coast (21N155W0001)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Puako (19N155W0001)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Maui > Kapalua (21N156W0002)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Maui > Maui Island (20N156W0004)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii > Hawaii (21N160W0000)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii > Kohala Coast (21N155W0001)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii > Puako (19N155W0001)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii Island > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Main Hawaiian Islands > Auau Channel",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Maui Island > Kapalua (21N156W0002)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Maui Island > Maui Island (20N156W0004)",
  "North Pacific Ocean",
  "SEA FLOOR",
  "Benthic Classification",
  "Biological Cover",
  "CRED",
  "CREP",
  "Coral Reef Ecosystem Division",
  "Coral Reef Ecosystem Program",
  "PIFSC",
  "Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
  "Substrate",
  "Main Hawaiian Islands",
  "DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC > Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "PIFSC CRED Pacific Islands Benthic Habitat Mapping Center (PIBHMC) Metadata Catalog"
]
landingPage https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/32811
language 
[]
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2016-01-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
{
  "name": "Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
rights otherRestrictions, unclassified
spatial -155.822838,19.772429,-156.100504,20.061727
temporal 2006-01-01T00:00:00+00:00/2014-01-01T00:00:00+00:00
theme 
[
  "geospatial"
]
title Dominant Benthic Structure and Biological Cover Habitat Maps for West Maui and West Hawaii

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