American Samoa Reef Fish Surveys Using Rebreathers, 2016

NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) conducted reef fish surveys in American Samoa from 2016-04 15 to 2016-05-05. The data were gathered using closed-circuit rebreathers during paired surveys with the stationary point count method to assess species diversity, size, and abundance. These surveys targeted hard bottom habitats stratified by island, reef zone, and depth.

Use Cases

• Compare fish survey data collected via rebreather versus open-circuit SCUBA based on the paired survey methodology described.
• Analyze reef fish species diversity and abundance in American Samoa based on the Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) survey method.
• Model fish assemblage distribution across depth and reef zone strata mentioned in the survey domain.
• Assess the utility of closed-circuit rebreathers for coral reef monitoring based on the comparative study design.

Strengths

• Data collected by the authoritative NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP).
• Surveys conducted using a standardized method (stationary point count) for quantification.
• Explicit temporal coverage from 2016-04-15 to 2016-05-05.
• Surveys targeted specific strata: island, reef zone, and depth within hard bottom habitats.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is limited to rebreather surveys; companion SCUBA survey data is not included in this described set.

Provenance

Source

NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC).

Collection Method

Surveys conducted using closed-circuit rebreathers and the stationary point count (SPC) method.

Time Range

2016-04-15 to 2016-05-05

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 22:58:19.941569; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Hard bottom habitats in American Samoa.