Shrnutí

Popis

The field data described herein are part of the CRCP-funded project aimed at establishing baseline Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) surveys for coral reef benthic cover and composition at Faga'alu Bay, Tutuila, American Samoa. Line point intercept (LPI) surveys and benthic composition assessments were conducted from 20120813 to 20120816 at 17 REA sites by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC).Benthic biologists from NOAA's Coral Reef Ecosystem Division conducted Line Point Intercept surveys to quantitatively document the benthic cover at pre-determined REA sites. Two linear 25 m transects were surveyed with a 5 m inter-transect region between the end of Transect 1 and the start of Transect 2. The LPI diver determines the benthic composition at 20 cm intervals for a total of 125 data points per transect. All living benthic elements (e.g., coral, algae, and other invertebrates) were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible, often substituting functional group categories for turf algae and crustose coralline algae when identification in the field was extremely difficult. In cases where the substrate is bare or covered with turf algae, the substrate composition is also noted as either sand, rock, rubble, carbonate pavement, or dead coral. The data allows for the assessment and monitoring of species composition and abundance and provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of percent cover at higher taxonomic levels like functional group (live coral, macroalgae, turf algae) or on a finer taxonomic resolution such as genus level.