Pacific Island Coral Reef Fish Surveys from Towed-Diver Transects

Towed-diver surveys recorded the number, size, and species of large-bodied fishes within a visually estimated 5-meter transect on either side of the diver and 10 meters ahead. These data were collected around the Pacific Remote Island Areas as part of NOAA's National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). The dataset is hosted by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

Use Cases

• Analyzing species composition and abundance of large-bodied reef fish across different Pacific atolls.
• Monitoring changes in fish size distributions as an indicator of reef health and fishing pressure.
• Spatial analysis of fish assemblages relative to specific locations like Baker Island.
• Supporting long-term ecological research for the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP).

Strengths

• Data collection follows a standardized visual estimate protocol used in NOAA's long-term NCRMP.
• Surveys cover the geographically specific Pacific Remote Island Areas.
• The dataset is curated and distributed by the authoritative NOAA NCEI Ocean Archive.

Limitations

• Key quantitative details like total row count, specific column names, and exact temporal coverage are unavailable from all sources.
• Conflicts exist between sources on update dates, with one listing March 2026 and others showing null.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Data gathered during standardized towed-diver surveys using visual estimation within a defined transect.

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:24:16.774106

Geography

Pacific Remote Island Areas, Central Pacific Ocean (e.g., Baker Island).