A 1998 survey from September 5-9 documented marine communities at 12 sites in Midway Harbor and lagoon. NOAA_NCEI researchers identified 444 taxa, including 47 algae, 316 invertebrates, and 81 fish species. Approximately 285 species were new records for the atoll, and three nonindigenous invertebrates were documented.
Use Cases
- Analyze species richness and composition across 12 survey sites using recorded taxa counts.
- Study the distribution and dominance of introduced species like Amathia distans and Chthamalus proteus on artificial substrates.
- Compare invertebrate fouling communities against natural habitat records to assess introduction vectors.
- Examine fish occurrence data for 81 species to understand reef fish community structure.
- Investigate the 250 new invertebrate and 35 new algae records for Midway Atoll to update regional species inventories.
Strengths
- Comprehensive taxonomic identification yielding 444 distinct taxa.
- Clear spatial context with data from 12 specific survey sites.
- Explicit temporal coverage from a focused 5-day survey in September 1998.
- Documents 285 species considered new records for the atoll.
Limitations
- Single temporal snapshot from 1998, lacking longitudinal data.
- Sample size limited to 12 sites, which may not represent the entire atoll.
- Column-level data structure (e.g., individual observations, environmental measurements) is unknown.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA_NCEI
- Collection Method
- Field survey focusing on invertebrates of fouling communities on artificial substrates, with additional recording of reef fish occurrence and algae collection.
- Time Range
- 1998-09-05 to 1998-09-09
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Midway Harbor and adjacent lagoon, Midway Atoll, Northwest Hawaiian Islands