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National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Stratified Random Surveys (StRS) of Coral Demography (Adult and Juvenile Corals) across the Hawaiian Archipelago since 2013

Published by Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 02, 2026 at 11:21 PM | Dataset Last Updated: January 01, 2020 at 12:00 AM
NCRMP CORAL DEMOGRAPHIC DATA HAS NOW BEEN MERGED INTO A PACIFIC-WIDE METADATA RECORD -- PLEASE REFER TO https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/71550 FOR MOST UPDATED DATA. The data described here result from benthic coral demographic surveys within belt transects of specified length and width for two life stages (juveniles and adults) across the Hawaiian archipelago since 2013. The data provide information on adult coral colony counts, morphology, size, partial mortality (old and recent dead), presence and causation of disease and other compromised health conditions, including bleaching. Juvenile colony surveys include morphology and size. Taxonomic identification of adult colonies is to the species level and genus level for juveniles. A two-stage stratified random sampling (StRS) design was employed to survey the coral reef ecosystems of the Hawaiian archipelago in 2013, 2016, and 2017 and starting in 2019 a one-stage StRS design was employed. 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 (i.e., shallow: >0–6 m; mid-depth: >6–18 m; and deep: >18–30 m), habitat structure type, as well as reef zone (i.e., forereef, backreef, lagoon, and protected slope; the latter three only in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands). Sampling effort allocation was determined based on strata area and sites randomly located within strata. The StRS design effectively reduces estimate variance through stratification using environmental covariates and by sampling more sites rather than more transects per site. Therefore, site-level estimates and site-to-site comparisons should proceed with caution. The data were collected as part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) and Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD; formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) missions around the Main Hawaiian Islands in 2013, 2016 and 2019, and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in 2016. Data collected as part of the 2014 and 2015 Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument funded research cruises in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are also included. The latter are funded separately but are complementary to the ESD NCRMP-funded data.

Resources

11 resources available

  • HAWAII2013_coralgenera.csv

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  • V0_CORAL_OBS_E_PRESENCE HAWAII 2016.csv

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  • PIFSC_NTM-PIFSC-92_2018_SOP_Benthic.pdf

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  • https://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/CRCP_Coral_Demographic_Survey_Adult_Hawaii.html

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  • https://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/CRCP_Coral_Demographic_Survey_Juvenile_Hawaii.html

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  • NWHI2014_coralgenera.csv

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  • NWHI2015_coralspecies.csv

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  • MHI2019_coralspecies.csv

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  • PMNM_CORAL_OBS_E_ NWHI_2017.csv

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  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

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  • Full Metadata Record

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