The Mariana Archipelago reef fish and benthic surveys are conducted by NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center using stationary point count methods. Data includes species richness, numeric density, biomass, and benthic cover estimates for shallow-water hard-bottom habitats. Surveys employ a stratified random sampling design based on island, reef zone, and depth.
Use Cases
- Model reef fish biomass trends based on species abundance and density data.
- Analyze benthic habitat composition based on functional category cover estimates.
- Assess coral reef ecosystem health based on stratified sampling across depth and reef zones.
- Study biodiversity patterns based on species richness data from diurnally active fish assemblages.
Strengths
- Data collection follows a stratified random sampling design based on strata area.
- Surveys target shallow-water habitats less than 30 meters deep.
- Data collection began in 2014, providing a multi-year time series.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division
- Collection Method
- Stationary point count surveys with visual benthic estimates.
- Time Range
- Since 2014
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-03-14 22:59:20.481631; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Mariana Archipelago, including Guam