Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic cover derived from analysis of images collected during stratified random surveys (StRS) across American Samoa

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 03, 2026 at 08:15 AM | Dataset Last Updated: April 03, 2024 at 12:00 AM
The benthic cover data in this collection result from the analysis of images produced by benthic photo-quadrat surveys. These surveys were conducted along transects at stratified random sites across American Samoa as a part of the ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). Benthic cover data derived from this imagery are also included in this collection. A stratified random sampling (StRS) design was employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems throughout the region. The survey domain encompassed the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats in the 0-30 m depth range. The stratification scheme included island, reef zone, and depth. Sampling effort was allocated based on strata area and sites were randomly located within strata. Sites were surveyed using photo-quadrats along transects. The imagery were then analyzed to produce estimates of relative abundance (percent cover), frequency of occurrence, benthic community taxonomic composition, and relative generic richness. Benthic habitat imagery were quantitatively analyzed using a web-based annotation tool called CoralNet (Beijbom et al. 2015). In general, images are analyzed to produce three functional group levels of benthic cover: Tier 1 (e.g., hard coral, soft coral, macroalgae, turf algae, etc.), Tier 2 (e.g., Hard Coral = massive, branching, foliose, encrusting, etc.; Macroalgae = upright macroalgae, encrusting macroalgae, bluegreen macroalgae, and Halimeda, etc.), and Tier 3 (e.g., Hard Coral = Astreopora sp, Favia sp, Pocillopora, etc.; Macroalgae = Caulerpa sp, Dictyosphaeria sp, Padina sp, etc.).

Resources

10 resources available

  • CRCP Benthic Cover American Samoa

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • NCEI Dataset Landing Page

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • Granule Search

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25247

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0157633

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25274

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2005.11.009

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130312

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • NCEI Contact Information

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

Find Related Datasets

Search by Tags

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

0157752 0159168 0187563 0240610 0289905 0290482 BENTHIC COMMUNITIES BENTHIC SPECIES

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:ncei.info@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description The benthic cover data in this collection result from the analysis of images produced by benthic photo-quadrat surveys. These surveys were conducted along transects at stratified random sites across American Samoa as a part of the ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). Benthic cover data derived from this imagery are also included in this collection. A stratified random sampling (StRS) design was employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems throughout the region. The survey domain encompassed the majority of the mapped area of reef and hard bottom habitats in the 0-30 m depth range. The stratification scheme included island, reef zone, and depth. Sampling effort was allocated based on strata area and sites were randomly located within strata. Sites were surveyed using photo-quadrats along transects. The imagery were then analyzed to produce estimates of relative abundance (percent cover), frequency of occurrence, benthic community taxonomic composition, and relative generic richness. Benthic habitat imagery were quantitatively analyzed using a web-based annotation tool called CoralNet (Beijbom et al. 2015). In general, images are analyzed to produce three functional group levels of benthic cover: Tier 1 (e.g., hard coral, soft coral, macroalgae, turf algae, etc.), Tier 2 (e.g., Hard Coral = massive, branching, foliose, encrusting, etc.; Macroalgae = upright macroalgae, encrusting macroalgae, bluegreen macroalgae, and Halimeda, etc.), and Tier 3 (e.g., Hard Coral = Astreopora sp, Favia sp, Pocillopora, etc.; Macroalgae = Caulerpa sp, Dictyosphaeria sp, Padina sp, etc.).
distribution 
[
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "CRCP Benthic Cover American Samoa",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/CRCP_Benthic_Cover_American_Samoa.html",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "ERDDAP acts as a middleman between you and various remote data servers. ERDDAP offers an easy-to-use, consistent way to request data: via the OPeNDAP standard. Many datasets can also be accessed via ERDDAP's Web Map Service (WMS). ERDDAP returns data in the common file format of your choice. ERDDAP offers all data as .html table, ESRI .asc and .csv, Google Earth .kml, OPeNDAP binary, .mat, .nc, ODV .txt, .csv, .tsv, .json, and .xhtml.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Dataset Landing Page",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.7289/v52v2dfw",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Granule Search",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/metadata/granule/geoportal/?from=0&size=10&esdsl=%7B%22query%22%3A%7B%22bool%22%3A%7B%22must%22%3A%5B%7B%22query_string%22%3A%7B%22analyze_wildcard%22%3Atrue%2C%22query%22%3A%22fileid%3ANCRMP-StRS-Images-AmSam.*%22%7D%7D%5D%7D%7D%7D#searchPanel",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Search for data granules belonging to this collection (a granule is the smallest aggregation of data that can be independently described and retrieved).",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25247",
    "accessURL": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25247",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "InPort Record",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0157633",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0157633",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Documentation for NCRMP data",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25274",
    "accessURL": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25274",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "InPort Record",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2005.11.009",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "related journal article",
    "downloadURL": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2005.11.009",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130312",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "O. Beijbom, P. J. Edmunds, C. Roelfsema, J. Smith, D. I. Kline, B. Neal, M. J. Dunlap, V. Moriarty, T-Y. Fan, C-J. Tan, S. Chan, T. Treibitz, A. Gamst, B. G. Mitchell, D. Kriegman. "Towards automated annotation of benthic survey images: variability of human experts and operational modes of automation". PLOS One, July 2015.",
    "downloadURL": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130312",
    "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). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. 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": "NCEI Contact Information",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Information for contacts at NCEI.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  }
]
identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions/iso/xml/NCRMP-StRS-Images-AmSam.xml
issued 2017-01-06T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
[
  "0157752",
  "0159168",
  "0187563",
  "0240610",
  "0289905",
  "0290482",
  "BENTHIC COMMUNITIES",
  "BENTHIC SPECIES",
  "BENTHIC SPECIES - TAXA COUNTS",
  "biological data",
  "CORAL",
  "CORAL - CENSUS",
  "CORAL - SPECIES IDENTIFICATION",
  "HABITAT - BENTHIC",
  "PHOTOQUADRAT IMAGES",
  "REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER",
  "camera",
  "laboratory analysis",
  "photograph",
  "swimmer/diver",
  "biological",
  "imagery",
  "in situ",
  "laboratory analyses",
  "laboratory experiments",
  "survey - coral reef",
  "visual estimate",
  "NOAA Ship Hi'ialakai",
  "NOAA Ship Rainier",
  "Coral Reef Ecosystem Program",
  "NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division",
  "Coral Reef Ecosystem Program",
  "NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
  "NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division",
  "American Samoa Reef and Assessment Monitoring Program (ASRAMP)",
  "Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)",
  "CORAL REEF STUDIES",
  "National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP)",
  "Pacific Reef and Assessment Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP)",
  "Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary",
  "National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa",
  "Rose Atoll Marine National Monument",
  "South Pacific Ocean",
  "oceanography",
  "CRED",
  "CREP",
  "Coral Point Count",
  "Coral Reef Ecosystem Division",
  "Coral Reef Ecosystem Program",
  "ESD",
  "Ecosystem Sciences Division",
  "PIFSC",
  "Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
  "RAMP",
  "Reef Assessment 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",
  "743",
  "National Coral Reef Monitoring Program",
  "National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP)",
  "Numeric Data Sets > Benthic",
  "Visual Images > Habitats",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Microbiota > Blue-green Algae",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algal Cover",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Crustose Coralline Algae",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Encrusting Macroalgae",
  "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 > Baseline studies",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Quadrat Monitoring > Photograph Analysis",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Belt Transect",
  "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 > In Situ Biological",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Rapid Assessment Studies",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Mollusks > Tridacna",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Sponges",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology",
  "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 > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover Live percentage",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > OctoCoral Cover",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Plants > Seagrass",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > CORAL REEFS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > SPECTRAL/ENGINEERING > VISIBLE WAVELENGTHS > VISIBLE IMAGERY",
  "CoralNet",
  "RAMP",
  "REA",
  "Rapid Ecological Assessment",
  "Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program",
  "robot-assisted annotations",
  "CAMERA > CAMERA",
  "CoralNet",
  "machine-learning algorithm",
  "Ships",
  "Hi'ialakai (call sign: WTEY, ICES code: 33HL, 2004-)",
  "RAINIER (call sign: WTEF, ICES code: 315R, 1968-)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Rose Atoll (14S168W0001)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Swains Atoll (11S171W0001)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Ta'u Island (14S169W0012)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Ofu Island > Ofu (14S169W0002)",
  "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Olosega Island > Olosega (14S169W0016)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Rose Atoll (14S168W0001)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Swains Atoll (11S171W0001)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ofu (14S169W0002)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ofu Island (14S169W0013)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Olosega (14S169W0016)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Olosega Island (14S169W0014)",
  "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ta'u Island (14S169W0012)",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > AMERICAN SAMOA",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN > POLYNESIA > SAMOA",
  "AMSM",
  "American Samoa",
  "Triennial",
  "5H5W7Y",
  "843GH6",
  "F1NDT2",
  "LGFH3G",
  "R5LM8G",
  "Y4ULFU"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
[]
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2024-04-03T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
{
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
[
  "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25247",
  "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0157633",
  "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/25274",
  "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2005.11.009",
  "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0130312"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial -168.1373351,-14.56050273,-171.0925737,-11.04525081
temporal 2015-02-15T00:00:00+00:00/2015-02-15T00:00:00+00:00
theme 
[
  "geospatial"
]
title National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic cover derived from analysis of images collected during stratified random surveys (StRS) across American Samoa

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov