NCCOS Mapping: Characterizing Benthic Habitats West of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), 2018-11-05 to 2022-04-29 (NCEI Accession 0291792)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 03, 2026 at 04:43 AM | Dataset Last Updated: May 20, 2024 at 12:00 AM

This data package contains information and maps showing the geology and biology of select submerged lands (0 to 40 meters deep) offshore of western Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This information and maps were developed using benthic information from underwater photographs, environmental predictor variables derived from satellite imagery and bathymetry, and machine learning modeling approaches. From this process, two types of map products were created. The first type describes the spatial distribution of 5 substrate and 14 biological cover types, where each grid cell denotes the probability (0 to 100%) that a given habitat is present. The second product was a classified map depicting the 7 most common combinations of substrate and cover types (plus artificial structures). The performance and accuracy of these products were evaluated using an independent of underwater photographs. The overall accuracy of the classified map was 91.5% with user’s accuracy of individual habitat classes between 84% and 100% correct. The substrate and cover predictions had little bias (𝑥̅ error = 0.01 ±0.01 SE), good to excellent ability to discriminate between presences and absences (𝑥̅ area under the curve = 0.82 ±0.02 SE) and they explained almost a quarter of the variation in the data (𝑥̅ percent deviance explained = 23.8% ±2.9 SE). Over 95 square kilometers (km2) of seafloor was characterized west of Saipan, CNMI. Overall, ‘Live and Upright Dead Coral Reef, Mixed Algae’ was the most abundant habitat type mapped inside and outside the Lagoon, comprising 32% (31 km2) of the area. The largest, continuous patches were located outside the Lagoon north Susupe Point, as well as inside the lagoon on the reef crest and back reef north of the harbor channel. Most live coral (all species) observations were documented outside the Lagoon from the harbor channel to Agingan Point, as well as inside the Lagoon north of Garapan. Enhalus acoroides and Halodule uninervis seagrass were both located exclusively inside the Lagoon, from Tanapag Beach south to Oleai as well as north of Tanapag to Pau Beach and south of Garapan to Agingan Point, respectively. Endangered Species Act (ESA) protected corals (i.e., Acropora globiceps) were documented at 4 sites outside the Lagoon, located seaward of the reef crest between Susupe and Agingan Points. No nuisance species (i.e., C. vieillardi) or crown of thorns sea star (COTS) were photographed outside the Lagoon. The prevalence of coral bleaching and marine debris were also very low outside the Lagoon (<0.7% and <0.9%, respectively). Theses maps mark the first time that the seafloor area outside the Lagoon has been mapped since 2005, providing an updated inventory of marine resources and new baseline for future monitoring and management decisions in the region.

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NCEI Dataset Landing Page

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https://doi.org/10.25923/psjm-h924

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021265

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-014-0118-8

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https://doi.org/10.1109/proc.1981.11918

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https://www.jennessent.com/arcgis/surface_area.htm

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https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/tm-nos-nccos-229

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https://doi.org/10.3390/s22093121

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https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/collections/benthic/e99us_pac/

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https://chs.coast.noaa.gov/htdata/raster5/elevation/CNMI_Topobathy_DEM_2019_9474/

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https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/aa-updates/richard-cruise-100322.html

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https://doi.org/10.1109/lgrs.2013.2280182

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https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290120107

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https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/characterizing-benthic-habitats-around-saipan-cnmi-to-support-marianas-campaign/

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https://doi.org/10.25921/wg96-cq17

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NCEI Contact Information

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description	This data package contains information and maps showing the geology and biology of select submerged lands (0 to 40 meters deep) offshore of western Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This information and maps were developed using benthic information from underwater photographs, environmental predictor variables derived from satellite imagery and bathymetry, and machine learning modeling approaches. From this process, two types of map products were created. The first type describes the spatial distribution of 5 substrate and 14 biological cover types, where each grid cell denotes the probability (0 to 100%) that a given habitat is present. The second product was a classified map depicting the 7 most common combinations of substrate and cover types (plus artificial structures). The performance and accuracy of these products were evaluated using an independent of underwater photographs. The overall accuracy of the classified map was 91.5% with user’s accuracy of individual habitat classes between 84% and 100% correct. The substrate and cover predictions had little bias (𝑥̅ error = 0.01 ±0.01 SE), good to excellent ability to discriminate between presences and absences (𝑥̅ area under the curve = 0.82 ±0.02 SE) and they explained almost a quarter of the variation in the data (𝑥̅ percent deviance explained = 23.8% ±2.9 SE). Over 95 square kilometers (km2) of seafloor was characterized west of Saipan, CNMI. Overall, ‘Live and Upright Dead Coral Reef, Mixed Algae’ was the most abundant habitat type mapped inside and outside the Lagoon, comprising 32% (31 km2) of the area. The largest, continuous patches were located outside the Lagoon north Susupe Point, as well as inside the lagoon on the reef crest and back reef north of the harbor channel. Most live coral (all species) observations were documented outside the Lagoon from the harbor channel to Agingan Point, as well as inside the Lagoon north of Garapan. Enhalus acoroides and Halodule uninervis seagrass were both located exclusively inside the Lagoon, from Tanapag Beach south to Oleai as well as north of Tanapag to Pau Beach and south of Garapan to Agingan Point, respectively. Endangered Species Act (ESA) protected corals (i.e., Acropora globiceps) were documented at 4 sites outside the Lagoon, located seaward of the reef crest between Susupe and Agingan Points. No nuisance species (i.e., C. vieillardi) or crown of thorns sea star (COTS) were photographed outside the Lagoon. The prevalence of coral bleaching and marine debris were also very low outside the Lagoon (<0.7% and <0.9%, respectively). Theses maps mark the first time that the seafloor area outside the Lagoon has been mapped since 2005, providing an updated inventory of marine resources and new baseline for future monitoring and management decisions in the region.
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identifier	https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions/iso/xml/0291792.xml
issued	2024-04-24T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword	[ "0291792", "BENTHIC COMMUNITIES", "biological data", "CORAL", "HABITAT - BENTHIC", "REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER", "camera", "LIDAR", "photograph", "satellite sensor - general", "biological", "GIS product", "in situ", "model output", "NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science", "NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations", "NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science", "Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)", "CORAL REEF STUDIES", "North Pacific Ocean", "Philippine Sea", "oceanography", "Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Division of Coastal Resources Management", "Johnston Applied Marine Sciences", "US DOC; NOAA; NOS; Office for Coastal Management", "US DOC; NOAA; National Marine Fisheries Service", "DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce", "DOC/NOAA/OMAO > NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce", "31309", "Predicting coral morphology across space to inform the protective capacity of coral reefs in CNMI", "NCCOS Mapping: Bathymetric Lidar Waveform Metrics for Saipan, CNMI, 2019-07-11 to 2019-07-31", "NCCOS Mapping: Characterizing Submerged Lands Around Naval Base Guam, Mariana Islands, 2016-01-11 to 2022-05-13", "Rainier Integrates Charting, Hydrography, and Reef Demographics (RICHARD) Campaign (NOAA NOS 2022)", "Geographic Information > Backscatter", "Geographic Information > Bathymetry", "Geographic Information > Biology", "Geographic Information > Habitats", "Geographic Information > LiDAR", "Geographic Information > Marine Debris", "Geographic Information > Marine Management Areas", "Geographic Information > Reef Locations", "Map Images > Backscatter", "Map Images > Bathymetry", "Map Images > Coral Mapping", "Map Images > Habitats", "Numeric Data Sets > Backscatter", "Numeric Data Sets > Bathymetry", "Numeric Data Sets > Benthic", "Numeric Data Sets > Biology", "Numeric Data Sets > Geology", "Numeric Data Sets > Habitats", "Visual Images > Biology", "Visual Images > Corals", "Visual Images > Habitats", "Visual Images > Seagrass", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algal Cover", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Calcareous Macroalgae", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Coralline Algae", "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 > ESA Listed Species", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > GIS", "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Mapping > Base map > Satellite Imagery", "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 > Photographic Analysis", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Backscatter", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Bathymetry", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Hard Seafloor Substrate", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Rugosity", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Slope", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Soft Seafloor Substrate", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Water Depth", "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 > Habitats", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral", "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Plants > Seagrass", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION", "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC", "EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS", "Marine Spatial Ecology > Habitat Mapping", "Derived Data Product", "Field Observation", "Geospatial", "Benthic Habitat Maps", "Imagery", "Training and Validation Data", "CAMERA > CAMERA", "LIDAR > Light Detection and Ranging", "global positioning system (Trimble GeoXH 6000 and Geo 7X H-Star)", "light detection and ranging", "multispectral sensor", "underwater multispectral camera (Nikon D7500 and Sony alpha 7 DSLR)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Saipan > Chalan Kanoa (15N145E0012)", "COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Saipan > Saipan Island (15N145E0002)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Saipan Island > Chalan Kanoa (15N145E0012)", "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Saipan Island > Saipan Island (15N145E0002)", "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN", "U.S. States and Territories > CNMI", "Waterbodies > Pacific Ocean", "Lighthouse Reef Trochus Sanctuary", "Mariana Islands > Saipan", "Mañagaha Marine Conservation Area", "Pacific Ocean", "9EW7X7" ]
landingPage	https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language	[]
license	https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified	2024-05-20T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher	{ "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information", "@type": "org:Organization" }
references	[ "https://doi.org/10.25923/psjm-h924", "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021265", "https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-014-0118-8", "https://doi.org/10.1109/proc.1981.11918", "https://www.jennessent.com/arcgis/surface_area.htm", "https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/tm-nos-nccos-229", "https://doi.org/10.3390/s22093121", "https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000119752.locale=en", "https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/collections/benthic/e99us_pac/", "https://chs.coast.noaa.gov/htdata/raster5/elevation/CNMI_Topobathy_DEM_2019_9474/", "https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/aa-updates/richard-cruise-100322.html", "https://doi.org/10.1109/lgrs.2013.2280182", "https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290120107", "https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/characterizing-benthic-habitats-around-saipan-cnmi-to-support-marianas-campaign/", "https://doi.org/10.25921/wg96-cq17" ]
rights	otherRestrictions
spatial	145.846083,15.082944,145.594796,15.295254
temporal	2018-11-05T00:00:00+00:00/2022-04-29T00:00:00+00:00
theme	[ "geospatial" ]
title	NCCOS Mapping: Characterizing Benthic Habitats West of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), 2018-11-05 to 2022-04-29 (NCEI Accession 0291792)

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