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National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef benthic communities in the U.S. Virgin Islands from 2017-06-12 to 2017-08-04 (NCEI Accession 0176081)

Metadata Updated: April 1, 2024

The National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) assessed coral reef communities in St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) using two benthic surveys: the Benthic Assessment (BA) and the Coral Demographic method. Benthic Assessment provides benthic cover estimates for ecologically important cover types/groups (e.g., macroalgae, turf algae, crustose coralline algae, corals, sponges, sand/sediment, etc.) using a 1-stage stratified random survey design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats less than 30m in depth. The goals of these surveys are to provide: (1) a quantification of percent cover of biotic and abiotic benthic components using a line point-intercept (LPI) method; (2) information on topographic complexity substratum rugosity) of the survey locations (3) quantitative information on local commercially and ecologically-important macroinvertebrates (Caribbean spiny lobster [Panulirus argus], queen conch [Lobatus gigas], long-spined sea urchin [Diadema antillarum]); and (4) presence-absence information for ESA-listed Threatened corals. The goal of the coral demographic surveys is to collect and report information on species composition, density, size, abundance, and specific parameters of condition (% live vs. dead, bleaching, disease) of non-juvenile scleractinian corals (>4 cm maximum diameter), and of overall species diversity (all corals) using 10m x 1m belt transects in a stratified random sampling design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats less than 30m in depth. Both Benthic Assessment and Coral Demographic surveys are concurrent. Three datasets are provided under the Benthic Assessment and coral demographic protocols, and are distributed as one compiled package: (1) analysis ready benthic cover dataset, (2) analysis ready invertebrates/ESA dataset, and (3) analysis ready coral demographic dataset. The methodologies used for this survey can be found in the Benthic Assessment and Coral Demographic protocols. All datasets contain data fields on general station information (e.g., survey strata, depth, rugosity). Each of these data tables contain additional survey-specific data fields. For complete information and descriptions of attributes and data fields for all data tables, refer to the data dictionaries

Access & Use Information

License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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Dates

Metadata Date February 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date November 1, 2023
Metadata Updated Date April 1, 2024
Reference Date(s) 2018 (publication)
Frequency Of Update asNeeded

Metadata Source

Harvested from NMFS SEFSC

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Additional Metadata

Resource Type Dataset
Metadata Date February 29, 2024
Metadata Created Date November 1, 2023
Metadata Updated Date April 1, 2024
Reference Date(s) 2018 (publication)
Responsible Party (Point of Contact, Custodian)
Contact Email
Guid gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:71134
Access Constraints Cite As: Southeast Fisheries Science Center, [Date of Access]: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef benthic communities in the U.S. Virgin Islands from 2017-06-12 to 2017-08-04 (NCEI Accession 0176081) [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/71134., Access Constraints: Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose., Use Constraints: Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose. Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose., Distribution Liability: NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data.
Bbox East Long -64.43145
Bbox North Lat 18.40496
Bbox South Lat 17.63772
Bbox West Long -65.1465
Coupled Resource
Frequency Of Update asNeeded
Graphic Preview File https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0176081/2.2/data/0-data/NCRMP_USVI2017_Benthic_ArchiveDataPackage/NCRMP_USVI2017_Benthic_ArchiveDataPackage/Documentation/NCRMP_USVI2017_Benthic_PreviewGraphic_STTSTJ.jpg
Harvest Object Id 8e368dd7-e572-4cae-b5df-d527a8bfde0c
Harvest Source Id ca759a40-507d-4d0c-8f8c-64b3c5e05066
Harvest Source Title NMFS SEFSC
Licence NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose.
Lineage
Metadata Language eng
Metadata Type geospatial
Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-65.1465, 17.63772], [-64.43145, 17.63772], [-64.43145, 18.40496], [-65.1465, 18.40496], [-65.1465, 17.63772]]]}
Progress completed
Spatial Data Service Type
Spatial Reference System
Spatial Harvester True
Temporal Extent Begin 2017-06-12
Temporal Extent End 2017-08-04

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