NOAA Coral Reef Fish Surveys from Hawaiian Archipelago Towed-Diver Transects

Fish visual estimate data records the number, size, and species of large-bodied fishes observed during towed-diver surveys around the Hawaiian Archipelago. The dataset is part of NOAA's ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, collected by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center's Coral Reef Ecosystem Program. It is hosted by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information Ocean Archive.

Use Cases

• Analyzing species composition and abundance of large-bodied reef fish across different survey sites.
• Monitoring changes in fish size distributions over time as an indicator of ecosystem health.
• Studying spatial patterns of fish assemblages in relation to specific locations like French Frigate Shoals.
• Supporting coral reef ecosystem management by providing baseline data on fish census metrics.

Strengths

• Data collection follows a standardized NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) protocol, ensuring methodological consistency.
• Surveys cover a specific geographic region, the Hawaiian Archipelago, providing focused ecological data.
• The dataset is hosted by the authoritative NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

Limitations

• Critical quantitative details like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all sources.
• The license information is not provided, which restricts clarity on data reuse permissions.
• One platform lists a last update date (2026-03-05), while others show 'None', creating a conflict regarding data freshness.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP).

Collection Method

Gathered during towed-diver surveys where a diver recorded fish number, size, and species within a visually estimated 5-meter transect on either side and 10 meters in front.

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:05:29.097770

Geography

Hawaiian Archipelago, Central Pacific Ocean, including specific locations like French Frigate Shoals.