gov.noaa.nodc:0169726 eng utf8 dataset NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact HTTPS NOAA Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information custodian 2026-03-17T18:52:40Z ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) Benthic cover derived from photo transects in Vatia, American Samoa from 2015-11-02 to 2015-11-12 (NCEI Accession 0169726) 2018-01-27 publication 2018-01-10 creation NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information gov.noaa.nodc:0169726 NCEI Archive Management System 0169726 NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact HTTPS NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information publisher Troy Kanemura Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) troy.kanemura@noaa.gov http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred HTTP Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website Institution web page information resourceProvider Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred HTTP Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website Institution web page information resourceProvider Troy Kanemura Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) troy.kanemura@noaa.gov http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred HTTP Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website Institution web page information collaborator Bernardo Vargas-Ángel Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) bernardo.vargas-angel@noaa.gov http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred HTTP Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website Institution web page information principalInvestigator Coral Reef Ecosystem Program http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred HTTP Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website Institution web page information author Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center author Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) http://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred HTTP Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) website Institution web page information contributor tableDigital The benthic cover data described here were generated from the quantitative analysis of photoquadrat benthic images using image analysis software, whereby random points are projected on each image and the benthic elements falling directly underneath each point are identified. The images were collected at 18 stratified randomly selected sites in Vatia Bay in 2015 during belt transect surveys of coral demography by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP). The benthic cover data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive. The benthic images and coral demography data are described and archived separately. These data were generated from benthic surveys undertaken in Vatia Bay to establish a comprehensive baseline for benthic composition and coral demographics, and are part of a broader NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) funded project led by NCCOS to assess eutrophication impacts on coral ecosystem health in the bay. These efforts feed into the higher-level CRCP objectives by establishing an in-situ tracking system to assess the effects of management and mitigation strategies and activities in the target watersheds to reduce land-based sources of pollution. Funding Agency: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program completed historicalArchive NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact HTTPS NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information pointOfContact asNeeded https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/gfx?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0169726 Preview graphic PNG 0169726 NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 2018-01-06 publication biological data HABITAT - BENTHIC theme NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS photograph instrument NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS biological laboratory analyses theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS Coral Reef Ecosystem Program dataCentre NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Coral Reef Ecosystem Program dataCentre NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) CORAL REEF STUDIES project NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS South Pacific Ocean place NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS oceanography theme WMO_CategoryCode 2012-09-15 publication CRED CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center dataCentre Contributing Organizations DOC/NOAA/NMFS > National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2026 revision 24 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian 31090 Eutrophication Impacts on Coral Ecosystem Health in Vatia, American Samoa project CRCP Project Numeric Data Sets > Benthic theme CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algal Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Crustose Coralline Algae EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Encrusting Macroalgae EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Fleshy Macroalgae EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Turf Algae EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Baseline studies EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Belt Transect EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect monitoring EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Benthic biology EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > OctoCoral Cover theme CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > BENTHIC theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 2026 revision 24 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian software instrument Provider Instruments COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Tutuila Island > Vatia Bay (14S170W0028) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Tutuila Island > Vatia Bay (14S170W0028) place CoRIS Place Thesaurus OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN place Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords 2026 revision 24 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian Y0WBL1 Send2NCEI Submission Package ID accessLevel: public otherRestrictions Cite as: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2018). Benthic cover derived from photo transects in Vatia, American Samoa from 2015-11-02 to 2015-11-12 (NCEI Accession 0169726). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0169726. Accessed [date]. Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives. otherRestrictions Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose. otherRestrictions NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) Data Sharing Recommendations, version 9.0 updated August 12, 2015: CREP welcomes the opportunity to collaborate on research issues contributing to the scientific basis for better management of marine ecosystems. CREP has a very diverse set of field activities that generates large volumes of data using an array of data collection protocols. The following recommendations are for your consideration as you use this data: 1) Data analyses should take all field exigencies into account. The most effective way to do this would be active collaboration with CREP principal investigators. 2) In all presentations, product releases, or publications using data generated by CREP, proper acknowledgement of both CREP and the individuals responsible for data collection is expected. Citing the DOI (if available) is preferred, a non-DOI example is listed below. 3) If you collect or generate data for the same study areas, CREP requests that you share relevant information on complimentary data collections. 4) Those receiving data are strongly urged to inform the CREP Data Management Team of any errors and discrepancies that are discovered during the course of using these data. They are further urged to bring to the attention of the Team all problems and difficulties encountered in using these data. This information is necessary in order to improve the collections and to facilitate more efficient and economical data processing and retrieval. The users are asked to supply copies of any missing data that may be located, and to provide information as to significant subsets and special aggregations of data that are developed in using the material provided. Example citation: “This publication makes use of data products provided by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with funding support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). The analysis and interpretations presented here are solely that of the current authors.” Lozada-Misa, P., Schumacher, B., & Vargas-Ángel, Bernardo, 1965-. (20 C.E.). Analysis of benthic survey images via CoralNet : a summary of standard operating procedures and guidelines. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/ar-pifsc-h-17-02 1965 publication International DOI Foundation (IDF) https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/ar-pifsc-h-17-02 https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/ar-pifsc-h-17-02 HTTPS https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/ar-pifsc-h-17-02 PIFSC Administrative Report information Lozada-Misa, Paula author Schumacher, Brett author Vargas-Ángel, Bernardo, 1965- author U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center publisher documentDigital U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center crossReference Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (U.S.). (2016). Land-based pollution impacting coral reefs in Vatia Bay. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Coral Reef Ecosystem Program. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5bz6417 2016 publication International DOI Foundation (IDF) https://doi.org/10.7289/v5bz6417 https://doi.org/10.7289/v5bz6417 HTTPS https://doi.org/10.7289/v5bz6417 PIFSC Administrative Report information Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (U.S.) author U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Coral Reef Ecosystem Program. publisher documentDigital U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Coral Reef Ecosystem Program. crossReference Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2022: Benthic Surveys in Vatia, American Samoa: benthic cover derived from analysis of benthic images collected during belt transect surveys of coral demography in 2015 and 2020, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/31611. 2022 publication gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:31611 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/31611 HTTPS https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/31611 InPort Metadata Record information NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (NMFS/PIFSC) publisher tableDigital crossReference eng; USA utf8 environment oceans biota -170.674 -170.667 -14.2501 -14.2432 2015-11-02 2015-11-12 Jurisdictional managers have expressed concerns that nutrients from the village of Vatia, Tutuila, American Samoa, are having an adverse effect on the adjacent coral reef ecosystem. Excess nutrient loads promote increases in algal growth that can have deleterious effects on corals, such as benthic algae outcompeting and overgrowing corals. Nitrogen and phosphorus can also directly impact corals by lowering fertilization success, and reducing both photosynthesis and calcification rates. Land-based contributions of nutrients come from a variety of sources; in Vatia the most likely sources are poor wastewater management from piggeries and septic systems. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information +1-301-713-3277 ncei.info@noaa.gov pointOfContact In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media. Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions. Originator data format 1.916 https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0169726 HTTPS Web browser NCEI Dataset Landing Page Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links. information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/oas/169726 HTTPS Web browser Descriptive Information Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links. information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/download/169726 HTTPS Web browser HTTPS Navigate directly to the URL for data access and direct download. download ftp://ftp-oceans.ncei.noaa.gov/nodc/archive/arc0116/0169726/ FTP Any FTP client FTP These data are available through the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is no longer supported by most internet browsers. You may copy and paste the FTP link to the data into an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla or WinSCP). download dataset NCEI Accession 0169726 v1.1 was published. 2018-01-27T01:45:09Z NCEI Accession 0169726 v1.1 publication https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0169726/1.1 HTTPS NCEI Accession 0169726 v1.1 published 2018-01-27T01:45:09Z download dataset Parameter or Variable: REEF AND/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER (calculated); Units: percent; Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: software; Sampling and Analyzing Method: See the published standard operating procedures: Lozada-Misa P, Schumacher BD, Vargas-Angel B. 2017. Analysis of benthic survey images via CoralNet : a summary of standard operating procedures and guidelines. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC Administrative Report, H-17-02, 169 p. https://doi.org/10.7289/V5/AR-PIFSC-H-17-02. asNeeded Metadata are developed, maintained and distributed by NCEI. Updates are performed as needed to maintain currentness. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information custodian photograph photograph still images used as the basis for making parameter determinations