NOAA ARMS Data on Cryptic Reef Invertebrates in the Philippines

NOAA's Coral Reef Ecosystem Program collected data on cryptic marine invertebrate diversity using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) in the Philippines. The dataset covers a multi-year survey from March 2012 to June 2015, with three standardized ARMS units deployed at each shallow-water coral reef site. This systematic method provides a comparable record of the colonizing cryptobiota community over time and area.

Use Cases

• Analyzing temporal trends in cryptic invertebrate colonization from 2012 to 2015.
• Comparing biodiversity metrics across standardized sampling units (ARMS) at different reef sites.
• Studying the size-class distribution of motile organisms using the 2 mm, 500 µm, and 100 µm fraction data.
• Linking physical ARMS deployment data with photographic records of sessile organism recruitment.

Strengths

• Data collection follows a standardized, systematic ARMS method ensuring consistent sampling area and technique.
• Surveys cover a multi-year time series from March 2012 to June 2015.
• Three replicate ARMS units were deployed at each survey site, allowing for intra-site comparison.

Limitations

• Key structural details like row count, column names, and file formats are unknown across all platforms.
• The DNA sequencing data for processed samples is explicitly not included in this archival package.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2026-03-05 on Data.gov vs. 2015-05 31 on NASA Earthdata).

Provenance

Source

NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP), developed with the Census of Marine Life (CReefs).

Collection Method

Data gathered via deployment and recovery of standardized ARMS units by SCUBA divers, with organisms sorted by size fraction and morphospecies.

Time Range

2012-03-12 to 2015-05-31

Freshness

2026-03-05

Geography

Hard bottom shallow water habitats (<15m) in Batangas, Philippines.