Wake Atoll Coral Reef Baseline Survey for Environmental Impact Assessment

Biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service conducted a marine biological survey at Wake Atoll in June 1998. The survey aimed to characterize coral-reef habitats and document species of reef fishes, corals, macroinvertebrates, and algae near point-source discharges. This dataset provides a baseline for assessing potential environmental impacts from facilities like the Peacock Point outfall pipe, power plant, and desalinization plant.

Use Cases

• Establishing a 1998 ecological baseline for coral reef communities at Wake Atoll.
• Comparing species composition and habitat characteristics near multiple point-source discharge sites.
• Assessing potential environmental impacts from industrial outfalls on reef fish and macroinvertebrate populations.
• Supporting historical analysis of reef ecosystem changes in the central Pacific Ocean.

Strengths

• Survey conducted by authoritative U.S. federal agencies (USFWS and NMFS).
• Focuses on a specific, well-defined geographic location (Wake Atoll at 19°18' N, 166°35' E).
• Explicitly targets multiple anthropogenic impact sites for comparison (outfall, power plant, desalinization plant, stormwater outlets).

Limitations

• No column names, row counts, or file size information are provided by any source.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates: one source states 1998-06-30, while others state 2026-04-01, indicating potential metadata inconsistency.
• License and specific data formats are unknown.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), sponsored by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

Collection Method

Field survey conducted by biologists during a site visit in June 1998.

Time Range

1998-06

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:15:42.749665

Geography

Wake Atoll, Pacific Ocean, approximately 2,100 miles west of Honolulu.