Fish and benthic composition data collected for St. John, US Virgin Islands since 2001 by NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment. The dataset likely contains species distribution, abundance, size, and associated benthic parameters from stratified random sampling. It is intended to support spatial management decisions and is part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program.
Use Cases
- Modeling reef fish species distribution based on habitat maps and bathymetry.
- Monitoring trends in macro-invertebrate abundance (conch, lobster, Diadema) over time.
- Evaluating the spatial efficacy of marine zoning strategies like no-fishing areas.
- Comparing reef fish community metrics across the US Caribbean using standardized protocols.
Strengths
- Data collection spans over two decades, starting in 2001.
- Sampling stations are stratified and randomly selected from habitat maps to ensure regional coverage.
- Protocols are standardized for comparison across the US Caribbean.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA_NCEI
- Collection Method
- Field surveys following standardized protocols at randomly selected sites stratified by nearshore benthic habitat maps.
- Time Range
- 2001 - Present
- Geography
- St. John, US Virgin Islands