CRED Towed-Diver Fish Biomass Survey at Wake, Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2011

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
CRED Towed-Diver Fish Biomass Survey at Wake, Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2011
Abstract:
To support NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) long-term goals for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, towed-diver surveys (AKA towboard surveys) are conducted by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) as part of Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruises. 14 towboard surveys (totaling 27.77 km in length) were conducted at Wake in Pacific Remote Island Areas from 20110310 to 20110402 as part of RAMP Cruise HA1101. Towboard surveys are a good method for obtaining a general description of large reef areas, assessing the status of low-density populations of large-bodied reef fish, large-scale disturbances (e.g., bleaching), general distribution and abundance patterns of macro-invertebrates (e.g., crown of thorns sea stars, giant clams), and for assessing trends in these populations and metrics. A pair of scuba divers (1 fish diver and 1 benthic diver) are towed 60 m behind a small survey launch at a speed of 1-2 knots and a depth of approximately 15 m. Each survey is 50 min long, covers about 2 km of habitat, and is divided into ten 5-minute survey segments. The fish diver records, to the lowest possible taxon, all large-bodied reef fishes (greater than 50 cm total length) seen within 5 m either side and 10 m in front of the towboard. Length of each individual is estimated to the nearest cm. The fish towboard is also outfitted with a forward-facing digital video camera to record the survey swath. The benthic diver records percent cover of coral and macroalgae, estimates benthic habitat type and complexity, and censuses a suite of benthic macroinvertebrates including crown of thorns sea stars and sea urchins. The benthic towboard is equipped with a downward-facing digital still camera which images the benthos at 15-second intervals. These images are analyzed for percent cover of coral, algae, and other benthic components. Both towboards are equipped with SEABIRD SBE-39 temperature/depth sensors set to record at 5-second intervals. Latitude and longitude of each survey track is recorded at 15-second intervals using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver onboard the tow boat. A layback algorithm is applied to more accurately map the position of the divers with respect to the reef environment. This algorithm calculates the position of the divers based on the position of the tow boat taking into account the length of the tow rope, the depth of the divers, and the curvature of the survey track. This metadata applies to the fish biomass observations.
Supplemental_Information:
Data collected: Species level abundance and length information for coral reef fishes greater than 50 cm total length. Data is linked to a geographic shapefile via DiveID or SegID. Abundance and/or biomass data can be provided at the species or family level.
  1. How should this data set be cited?

    Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 20110412, CRED Towed-Diver Fish Biomass Survey at Wake, Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2011.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

    West_Bounding_Coordinate: 166.5934606
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: 166.66049417
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 19.32602134
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 19.26658362

  3. What does it look like?

  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

    Beginning_Date: 23-Mar-2011
    Ending_Date: 27-Mar-2011
    Currentness_Reference: Ground Condition

  5. What is the general form of this data set?

    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: spreadsheet

  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?

    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.0001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.0001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal Degrees.

      The horizontal datum used is World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84).
      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80 (GRS80).
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.2572236.

      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:
      Depth_System_Definition:
      Depth_Datum_Name: Local surface
      Depth_Resolution: 1
      Depth_Distance_Units: meters
      Depth_Encoding_Method: Explicit Depth Coordinate Included with Horizontal Coordinates

  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)

  2. Who also contributed to the data set?

    Kevin Lino, Benjamin Richards, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Sciences Center, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?

    Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
    1125B Ala Moana Blvd.
    Honolulu, HI 96814
    USA

    808-983-5300 (voice)
    808-983-3730 (FAX)
    nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov

    Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred

Why was the data set created?

status and trends of coral reef ecosystems within the United States Pacific Territories.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

    Date: Unknown (process 1 of 1)
    The towboard survey involves a pair of scuba divers who are towed 60 m behind a small boat at a constant speed (~1.5 knots). The towboard survey is typically 50-min long and covers about 2 km of habitat, depending on the depth profile of the divers. The survey is divided into ten 5-min segments. During the survey, the fish diver records, to the lowest possible taxon, large fishes observed within a survey swath 5 m to either side of the diver and 10 m in front the diver.

  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?

    Observations were made by the divers who are trained in fish taxonomy. Divers may change from year to year and by location.

  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

    Although resource grade GPS units were used and a layback model was applied to the survey tracks, the exact survey positions were not physically marked and effort was not made to re-visit exact same tracks.

  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

    SeaBird SBE-39 temp/depth recorder

  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

    The towboard surveys are completed in forereef, backreef, and lagoon habitats. The minimum spatial resolution of the towboard survey is the 5-minute survey segment which covers approximately 200 m. As such, these surveys are appropriate for broad estimates but cannot be used for fine scale, site-level data analysis.

  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

    The same data collection protocols were used at each island or bank surveyed.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
Please cite CRED when using data. Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)

    Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
    Data Manager
    1125B Ala Moana Blvd.
    Honolulu, HI 96814
    USA

    808-983-5300 (voice)
    808-983-3730 (FAX)
    nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov

    Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

    Offline Data

  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

    While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.

  4. How can I download or order the data?

  5. Is there some other way to get the data?

    Contact CRED data management team for information

  6. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

    Contact CRED data management team for information

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 20-Dec-2012
Last Reviewed: 18-Apr-2011
Metadata author:
Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
1125B Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
USA

808-983-5300 (voice)
808-983-3730 (FAX)
nmfs.pic.credinfo@noaa.gov

Contact_Instructions: e-mail preferred
Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)

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