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NCCOS Project: Mapping Habitat Change in Saipan Lagoon, CNMI

Published by National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 02, 2026 at 05:13 PM | Dataset Last Updated: May 19, 2017 at 12:00 AM
In 2004, shallow-water benthic habitats were mapped in Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Since then, habitats in the lagoon have likely changed because of coral bleaching events and recent typhoons. Local resource managers requested an updated map to help better understand these habitat changes and to help inform their monitoring and management decisions. In response, we created an updated benthic habitat map for areas shallower than 30-meters inside the lagoon.

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EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN > MICRONESIA > NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce NCCOS Research Data Type > Derived Data Product NCCOS Research Data Type > Field Observation NCCOS Research Data Type > Geospatial NCCOS Research Data Type > Video

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "Sautter, Will",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:will.sautter@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description In 2004, shallow-water benthic habitats were mapped in Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Since then, habitats in the lagoon have likely changed because of coral bleaching events and recent typhoons. Local resource managers requested an updated map to help better understand these habitat changes and to help inform their monitoring and management decisions. In response, we created an updated benthic habitat map for areas shallower than 30-meters inside the lagoon.
distribution 
[
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Saipan Lagoon BIOMapper Web Application",
    "accessURL": "https://maps.coastalscience.noaa.gov/biomapper/biomapper.html?id=Saipan",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "A free, fully interactive, user friendly, online platform designed to let users explore benthic habitat mapping data. Users can create fully customizable maps by clicking on a data layer in the table of contents and display aerial and acoustic imagery rasters, benthic habitat and geographic zone shapefiles, and ground validation/accuracy assessment video sites. Ground validation and accuracy assessment videos are available for viewing (streaming) and for download in standard or high resolution.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Data Index for Saipan Lagoon Video",
    "accessURL": "https://nccos-coastalscience-products-web.azurewebsites.net/biomapper_explorer/index.php?path=RHE5YWlxN1p2bkpSb2xtd2xxRW42MjFSNFdwdGR4cFQ0d05Fdm92ektZdWdYN2p2QkZDZi80SDFMNEpYWlBaY2RaRWJZOGswbFZpUUl4R05sd0MrQnc9PQ==&uri=YmdISDNIakc0a2poU1hsN",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Data index containing file-level documentation for all video including benthic habitat characteristics: FID; PROJECT; GEOGRAPHIC REGION; SITE TYPE; ASSESSMENT TYPE; SITE ID; DATE COLLECTED; TIME COLLECTED; LATITUDE; LONGITUDE; NORTHING; EASTING; DEPTH; URL LINK; CORAL REEF; PAVEMENT; RHODOLITH; SAND; HARD CORAL; SOFT CORAL; MACROALGAE; SPONGE; SEAGRASS; ARTIFICIAL; UNKNOWN; NOTES (from the field or the data managers).",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Saipan Lagoon MapServer Web Service",
    "accessURL": "https://gis.ngdc.noaa.gov/arcgis/rest/services/nccos/BenthicMapping_Saipan_Dynamic/MapServer",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "CNMI's Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ) and NOAA's Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) partnered with NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to develop updated habitat maps and assess habitat changes in Saipan Lagoon,CNMI. NCCOS developed these spatially resolved maps using environmental predictors, underwater videos/photos and mathematical modeling techniques. The new maps were designed to inform the Saipan Lagoon Use Management Plan (SLUMP), which is being updated in response to changes in lagoon habitats, user activities, and increases in tourism. Understanding the present spatial distribution of benthic habitats is an important part of the Territorial Government's process to evaluate zoning scenarios, minimize user conflicts, ensure public safety, and prevent environmental degradation inside the lagoon. Products from this assessment may also support coastal and ocean management efforts by other territorial and federal agencies working in Saipan. This work was funded by NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP Project #31100).",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Saipan Lagoon Benthic Habitat Map Data",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.7289/V5NV9GB9",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Kendall, M., B. Costa, S. McKagan, and L. Johnston. 2017. Benthic habitat maps of Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (NCEI Accession 0162517). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/V5NV9GB9",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Saipan Lagoon Video Explorer",
    "accessURL": "https://nccos-coastalscience-products-web.azurewebsites.net/biomapper_explorer/index.php?path=QW40VlZlN1g5VS9FSlBmaHRSd1BIZz09",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Online directory containing video files.",
    "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/52924",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  }
]
identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/nos/nccos/iso/xml/52924.xml
issued 2016-01-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
[
  "EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN > MICRONESIA > NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "NCCOS Research Data Type > Derived Data Product",
  "NCCOS Research Data Type > Field Observation",
  "NCCOS Research Data Type > Geospatial",
  "NCCOS Research Data Type > Video",
  "NCCOS Research Priority > Marine Spatial Ecology",
  "NCCOS Research Topic > Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments",
  "NCCOS Research Topic > Habitat Mapping",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Region > Pacific Ocean",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)",
  "Lighthouse Reef Trochus Sanctuary",
  "Mañagaha Marine Conservation District",
  "Saipan",
  "Saipan Lagoon",
  "Western Pacific",
  "DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "NCCOS Habitat Mapping Team"
]
landingPage https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/52924
language 
[]
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2017-05-19T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
{
  "name": "National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
rights otherRestrictions, unclassified
spatial 145.794770192,15.1209203637,145.684723941,15.2742160669
temporal 2015-12-01T00:00:00+00:00/2017-03-01T00:00:00+00:00
theme 
[
  "geospatial"
]
title NCCOS Project: Mapping Habitat Change in Saipan Lagoon, CNMI

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