Pacific Islands Benthic Habitat Mapping Center (PIBHMC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 200606 digital image http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/pibhmc/pibhmc_cnmi_gua_optical.htm ftp://ftp.soest.hawaii.edu/pibhmc/website/data/cnmi-guam/optical/guam/gua_toad.jpg This map displays optical validation observation locations and percent coverage of scleractinian coral overlaid on bathymetry. To display locations of optical validation data collected and percent coverage of scleractinian coral at Guam. Guam, a U.S. territory located at 13.28 degrees North, 144.45 degrees East, is the southernmost island in the Mariana Archipelago. It is the largest island in Micronesia, with a land mass of 560 square km and a maximum elevation of approximately 405 m. It is also the most heavily populated island in Micronesia, with a population of about 164,000. The northern portion of the island is relatively flat and consists primarily of uplifted limestone. The southern half of the island is primarily volcanic, with more topographic relief and large areas of highly erodible lateritic soils. Those conditions have led to the creation of a number of watersheds throughout the southern areas which are drained by 96 rivers. The island possesses fringing reefs, patch reefs, submerged reefs, offshore banks, and barrier reefs surrounding Cocos Lagoon in the south and part of Apra Harbor. Guam's coral reefs are an important component of the island's tourism industry and make Guam a popular tourist destination for Asian travelers. Traditionally, coral reef fishery resources formed a substantial part of the local Chamorro community's diet and included finfish, invertebrates, and sea turtles. Today coral reef resources are both economically and culturally important, although somewhat displaced from the diet by westernization and declining stocks. Over 10 percent of Guam's coastline has been set aside in five marine preserves, established in 1997 as a response to decreasing reef fish stocks. While management practices are enforced in the marine preserves, there is currently limited management and enforcement in the other areas. The health of Guam's coral reefs varies considerably, depending on a variety of factors including geology, human population density, level of coastal development, level and types of uses of marine resources, oceanic circulation patterns, and frequency of natural disturbances, such as typhoons and earthquakes. Many of Guam's reefs have declined in health over the past 40 years, with the average live coral cover on forereef slopes dwindling from approximately 50 percent in the 1960s to less than 25 percent by the 1990s. Cruises CoRIS Metadata Record Names OES0308 cred_toad_guam_2003 Resource Description: Digital video images that are geo-referenced to navigation files. 2003 2003 ground condition Complete As needed 144.63 144.97 13.62 13.25 CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Mapping EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus Map Images > Habitats ISO 19115 Topic Category environment 007 biota 002 None Synthesis Map OES0308 CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000) None Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands and Guam CoRIS Region Guam None Please acknowledge the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center as the source of this information. Pacific Islands Benthic Habitat Mapping Center (PIBHMC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) John Rooney mailing and physical address

1125B Ala Moana Blvd.

Honolulu HI 96814 (808) 983-3776 (808) 983-2902 pibhmc@soest.hawaii.edu e-mail preferred http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/pibhmc/CNMI_images/gua_toad_445px.jpg This map displays optical validation observation locations and percent coverage of scleractinian coral overlaid on bathymetry. JPEG Benthic Habitat Mapping Group, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), NOAA Not applicable Unclassified Not applicable Pacific Islands Benthic Habitat Mapping Center (PIBHMC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) John Rooney mailing and physical address

1125B Ala Moana Blvd.

Honolulu HI 96814 (808) 983-3776 (808) 983-2902 pibhmc@soest.hawaii.edu e-mail preferred Downloadable Data These data are not to be used for navigational purposes. NOAA makes no warranty regarding these data, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data, nor as a result of the failure of these data to function on a particular system. JPEG http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/pibhmc/pibhmc_cnmi_gua_optical.htm ftp://ftp.soest.hawaii.edu/pibhmc/website/data/cnmi-guam/optical/guam/gua_toad.jpg None 20121217 20080905 Pacific Islands Benthic Habitat Mapping Center (PIBHMC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) CRED Data Management Team mailing and physical address

1125B Ala Moana Blvd.

Honolulu HI 96814 (808) 983-3776 (808) 983-2902 pibhmc@soest.hawaii.edu e-mail preferred FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata FGDC-STD-001-1998 Local Time None None 20080905024912 None 20030101 20031231 http://www.coris.noaa.gov/metadata/records/html/cred_toad_map_guam_2003.html 2191