Kailua Bay Benthic Mapping Data from 1999-2001 Surveys

NOAA's dataset contains benthic mapping survey results from Kailua Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, collected between March 1999 and January 2001. Surveys used the Linear Transect Method or Line Intercept Technique along 30-meter transects at depths of -3 or -20 meters. The data quantifies substrate, coral, and coralline algae types, their percent bottom coverages, and derived metrics like abundance and diversity.

Use Cases

• Analyzing percent bottom coverage of different coral types and growth forms to assess reef community structure.
• Calculating diversity indices based on colony abundance or substrate cover to measure reef ecosystem health.
• Comparing substrate and coralline algae coverage across transects to study sedimentology and reef development.
• Investigating the size distribution of coral colonies by ecotype to understand population dynamics.
• Examining the proportion of dead coral within the community to evaluate historical stress events.

Strengths

• Data collection followed a standardized methodology (Linear Transect Method/Line Intercept Technique) along 30-meter transects.
• Surveys cover a multi-year time range from March 1999 to January 2001.
• Includes derived biological metrics such as abundance and diversity indices.
• Dataset is hosted by authoritative organizations (NOAA, NASA EarthData), indicating institutional oversight.

Limitations

• Core metadata conflicts: 'last updated' date is reported as 2026-03-05 on Data.gov but 2001-01-01 on NASA EarthData, suggesting a metadata error.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and the complete column schema are not provided by any source.
• License and author information are not documented.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Surveys using the Linear Transect Method (LTM) or Line Intercept Technique along 30 m transects.

Time Range

March 1999 to January 2001

Freshness

2026-03 05 22:32:53.844268

Geography

Kailua Bay, Oahu, Hawaii