gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:32998 eng UTF8 dataset CSV Files Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center 808-725-5300 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Website Website for this organization information 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. resourceProvider DesRochers, Annette M (808)725-5461 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA annette.desrochers@noaa.gov 8 am - 5 pm Email preferred pointOfContact Akridge, Michael W (808)725-5483 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA michael.akridge@noaa.gov pointOfContact 2026-03-04T19:17:27 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) Coral reef fish biomass and benthic cover data from Timor-Leste in June 2013 Timor: Fish 2015 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 32998 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/32998 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center 808-725-5360 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA pifsc.info@noaa.gov https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Website Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center homepage information 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. originator https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/coral_triangle_initiative.php WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL Information about the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program's activities in the Coral Triangle. download https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/survey_methods.php WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program website, survey methods page, which includes a brief description of the Stationary Point Count (nSPC) Method used to survey coral reef fishes (2007-present). download https://pifscblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/coral-triangle-day-timor-leste/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL PIFSC CREP blog post: NOAA scientists, local partners mark Coral Triangle Day in Timor-Leste with capacity-building activities, 18 Jun. 2013. download https://pifscblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/fish-acidification-timor-leste/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL PIFSC CREP blog post: Scientists assess reef fish and benthic communities, monitor effects of ocean acidification off Timor-Leste, 03 Jun. 2013. download https://pifscblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/final-count-timor-leste-2/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL PIFSC CREP blog post: The final count: summary of mission to assess reef fish assemblages, build capacity in Timor-Leste, 13 Aug. 2013. download https://pifscblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/timor-leste-live-aboard/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL PIFSC CREP blog post: Update from Timor-Leste: scientists complete live-aboard mission to survey reef fishes and benthos, assess ocean acidification, 08 Jul. 2013. download https://pifscblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/update-timor-leste-first-week/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL PIFSC CREP blog post: Update from Timor-Leste: team completes 50 surveys of reef fish and benthic communities in first week, 19 Jun. 2013. download https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/fish.php WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL PIFSC CREP website: Fish Ecology and Monitoring download https://www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/projects/timor-leste/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Citation URL Timor-Leste project portal on the NOAA Coral Reef Information Service website download tableDigital McCoy K, Ayotte P, Gray A, Lino K, Schumacher B, Sudnovsky M. 2015. Coral reef fish biomass and benthic cover along the north coast of Timor-Leste based on underwater visual surveys in June 2013. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC Data Report, DR-15-004, 18 p. + Appendices. doi:10.7289/v5k0728f. and Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. 2017. Interdisciplinary baseline ecosystem assessment surveys to inform ecosystem-based management planning in Timor-Leste: Final Report. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC Special Publication, SP-17-002, 234 p. https://doi.org/10.7289/V5/SP-PIFSC-17-002. Coral reef fish and benthos were surveyed at 150 shallow-water coral reef sites across the north coast of Timor-Leste and around Atauro Island in June 2013 during a 21-day survey mission. This project was conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center's Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) using consistent methods, survey design, and personnel. Fish biomass and benthic cover were estimated at all survey sites using the stationary point count (SPC) method. The SPC method catalogs the diversity (species richness), abundance (numeric density) and biomass (fish mass per unit area) of diurnally active reef fish assemblages in shallow-water (less than 30 m) hard-bottom habitats. Visual estimates of benthic cover and topographic complexity are also recorded, with benthic organisms grouped into broad functional categories (e.g., 'Hard Coral', 'Macroalgae'). A stratified random sampling (StRS) design was employed, similar to surveys conducted by NOAA CREP of the coral reef ecosystems throughout the U.S.-Pacific regions. The goal of the survey work was to generate baseline data on the nearshore coral reef fish assemblages and associated benthic communities around Timor-Leste's north coast and Atauro Island. Surveys were concentrated around these areas due to (1) limited time and resources, but also (2) low water visibility and safety concerns for potential dive survey operations along the south shore. In addition to the visual observations of reef fish and the associated benthos, photographs of the seafloor were taken using a photoquadrat method and were later analyzed for benthic cover. These two additional datasets are documented separately. The reef fish and benthic estimate data collected during the 2013 mission in Timor-Leste can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive. In 2011, NOAA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Timor-Leste Mission formed a 5-year bi-lateral partnership agreement from 2012 to 2016, in support of the Government of Timor-Leste—particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF)—by addressing significant information gaps in their nearshore marine ecosystems. Specifically, MAF asked NOAA to address the following questions: 1. Where are the nearshore marine resources? 2. What are the nearshore marine resources? 3. How are they changing over time and what threats are potentially causing these changes? 4. What approaches are needed to manage and conserve the nearshore marine resources? With financial support from USAID and in-kind support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (NOAA-CREP) conducted baseline ecosystem assessment surveys to inform ecosystem-based management planning in Timor-Leste. The primary activities conducted by NOAA to answer these questions included: 1. satellite mapping of nearshore habitats, 2. conducting coral reef ecosystem assessments, 3. establishing ecological baselines for climate change, and 4. building management capacity by developing a spatial data framework The reef fish survey data described herein resulted from the second activity to conduct coral reef ecosystem assessments. PIFSC Coral Reef Ecosystem Program and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Timor-Leste completed Williams, Ivor D (808)725-5427 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA ivor.williams@noaa.gov Contact via email pointOfContact McCoy, Kaylyn S (808)725-5471 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA kaylyn.mccoy@noaa.gov Email preferred custodian notPlanned https://www.pifsc.noaa.gov/cred/img/diver_counting_fish_using_spc_sm.jpg Diver counting coral reef fishes using the SPC method. JPG Numeric Data Sets > Fish Census theme CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Ecological Dynamics > Species Richness EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Reef Fish Census > Stationary EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Reef fish census EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral reef ecology EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish Assemblages EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Macroinvertebrates EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates > Macroinvertebrates theme CoRIS Theme Thesaurus FISH - CORAL REEF FISH BIOMASS FISH SPECIES SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - ORGANISM LENGTH theme NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS survey survey - biological survey - swimmer/diver visual estimate theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS CORAL REEF STUDIES Coral Triangle Initiative theme NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division; Coral Reef Ecosystem Program theme NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor) (09S126E0001) OCEAN BASIN > Indian Ocean > Timor Sea > Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor) (09S126E0001) place CoRIS Place Thesaurus Indian Ocean Timor Sea place NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS CRED CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center REA Rapid Ecological Assessment Reef Fish SPC Stationary Point Count USAID United States Agency for International Development theme Atauro Baucau Bobonaro Dili Lautem Liquica Manatuto Oecusse Timor-Leste Vila MPA place DOC/NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC > Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2017-04-24 publication 8.5 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. 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 Timor Leste project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, [Date of Access]: Coral reef fish biomass and benthic cover data from Timor-Leste in June 2013 [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/32998. NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose. otherRestrictions Access Constraints: None otherRestrictions Use Constraints: Please cite NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) and acknowledge the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Timor-Leste when using the data. Suggested citation: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2017). Coral reef fish biomass and benthic cover data from Timor-Leste in June 2013. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/32998. otherRestrictions Distribution Liability: While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. unclassified Not applicable Not applicable Assessing cryptic reef diversity of colonizing marine invertebrates using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) deployed at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste from 2012 to 2014 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 46159 crossReference Benthic images collected at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste from 2012-2014 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 46160 crossReference Benthic percent cover derived from analysis of benthic images collected at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste in 2013 and 2014 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 46161 crossReference Calcification Rates of Crustose Coralline Algae (CCA) Derived from Calcification Accretion Units (CAUs) Deployed at Coral Reef Sites in Timor-Leste from 2012 to 2014 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 46162 crossReference Depth soundings from a single beam echo sounder collected around the nearshore areas of Timor-Leste in 2012 and 2013 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 25307 crossReference Nearshore Benthic Habitats of Timor-Leste Derived from WorldView-2 Satellite Imagery NOAA/NMFS/EDM 29128 crossReference Satellite-derived bathymetry for nearshore benthic habitats in Timor-Leste NOAA/NMFS/EDM 46150 crossReference Water chemistry at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste from discrete surface and bottom water samples collected in 2013 and 2014 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 46163 crossReference Water temperature data from Subsurface Temperature Recorders (STRs) deployed at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste from 2012 to 2014 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 46164 crossReference WorldView-2 Satellite Image Inventory for Timor-Leste NOAA/NMFS/EDM 46151 crossReference NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA/NMFS/EDM 32998 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/dmp/pdf/32998.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. information crossReference eng; US biota PIFSC Oracle database view: V0_FISH_REA Extent of reef fish surveys conducted by NOAA CREP at Timor-Leste in June 2013. 124 127.5 -9.4 -8.1 Extent of reef fish surveys conducted by NOAA CREP at Timor-Leste in June 2013. Time frame of reef fish surveys conducted by NOAA CREP at Timor-Leste in June 2013. | Currentness: Ground Condition 2013-06-04 2013-06-27 As the survey methods described and used herein are also implemented as part of the NOAA Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP)—an ecosystem-scale interdisciplinary coral reef monitoring program—the data from Timor-Leste are directly comparable to and informed by data collected by NOAA-CREP throughout the U.S. Pacific Islands and Territories. Furthermore, the methods used for establishing ecological baselines for climate change in Timor-Leste (Chapter 4) are being adopted and implemented at 21 sites across eight member states of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission within the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) region. These data provide a foundation for comparing the ecological baselines under current and future stresses associated with climate change in the Coral Triangle region. false eng false Data View View: V0_FISH_REA 2017-08-29 publication PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information distributor https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0165354 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link DR-15-004.pdf Coral Reef Fish Biomass and Benthic Cover Along the North Coast of Timor-Leste Based on Underwater Visual Surveys in June 2013 download https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0165354 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Timor-Leste_Fish_Data.csv Observations from reef fish surveys in Timor-Leste in June 2013. download https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0165354 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link PIFSC_Admin_Rep_11-08.pdf Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Standard Operating Procedures: Data Collection for Rapid Ecological Assessment Fish Surveys download dataset Representativeness Data are from haphazardly located surveys and are believed to be highly representative Accuracy Observations at each site were made by divers who have been trained, and met minimum standards in identifying species present at the survey locations and in estimating size of fishes in survey counts. However, all species identifications are made visually, sometimes in situations where a fish is only briefly seen. Visual estimates of benthic cover are useful as broad indication of the reef benthic assemblages present at each survey site, but there is considerable scope for error in rapid diver estimates of this kind. Completeness Report For most NOAA CREP reef fish assessments, survey allocation is determined by area of hard-bottom reef habitat within 3 depth ranges; shallow (0–6 m), mid (6–18 m), and deep (18–30 m). The deep area of reef habitat was not surveyed as a result of safety restrictions set by the NOAA dive program. Also, surveys were not conducted along the south shore of Timor-Leste due to (1) limited time and resources, and also (2) low water visibility and safety concerns. Conceptual Consistency The same methods of data collection were used at each of the sites surveyed at this location, and were conducted by the same scientists. The same methods of data collection are used at each surveyed site. All sites were surveyed using CREP's standard coral reef fish assemblage survey method, stationary point counts (SPC). The current SPC protocol involves pairs of divers recording the number, size, and species of all fishes observed within visually estimated cylinders 15 m in diameter. At the start of a survey dive, a pair of divers first lay down a 30-m transect line along a predetermined depth contour, and then the two divers move to the 7.5- and 22.5-m marks on that line; these marks serve as the centers of two adjacent SPC cylinders. During the first 5 min of a survey, the divers create a list of the fish species observed in or passing through their cylinder. After the first 5 min, divers systematically proceed down their species lists, counting and estimating the size (TL) of each fish present to the nearest centimeter. Species seen after the 5 min or outside of the survey area are recorded as present. Step 1: Survey Design The surveys were based on a common stratified random survey design, with site locations selected randomly. As a result of the large area of coastline and time and personnel constraints, survey efforts were focused on 8 sections of coastline within 7 districts hereafter referred to as sectors. Each sector was treated as an independent survey area, and was separated by at least 18 km of coastline from adjacent sectors (with the exception of East and West Atauro, which are separated by 2 km). The target survey area was hard-bottom reef habitat in either a shallow (0–6 m) or mid-depth (6–18 m) range. Bathymetry and hard-bottom reef habitat maps were not available at the time of the mission planning, so sites were randomly selected within a rough 30-m depth contour. Once the divers arrived at the randomly located survey site, they assessed the benthos to determine whether habitat and visibility were suitable and moved to the target depth range. Step 2: Field Method, fish surveys All sites were surveyed using NOAA CREP’s standard coral reef fish assemblage survey method; stationary point counts (SPC). The SPC protocol involves a pair of divers conducting simultaneous counts in adjacent, visually estimated 15-meter-diameter cylindrical plots extending from the substrate to the limits of vertical visibility. Each count consisted of two components. The first of these was a 5-min species enumeration period in which the diver recorded the taxa of all species observed within their cylinder. At the end of the 5-min period, divers began the tallying portion of the count, in which they systematically worked through their species listing for each species and recorded the number of fish and size (total length, TL, to nearest centimeter) of each individual fish. The tallying portion was conducted as a series of rapid visual sweeps of the plot, with one species-grouping counted per sweep. In cases where a species was observed during the enumeration period but was not present in the cylinder during the tallying period, divers recorded their best estimates of size and number observed in the first encounter during the enumeration period and marked the data record as ‘non-instantaneous.’ For more detailed information, see Ayotte et al. (2011) for the complete fish survey standard operating procedure. Step 3: Field Method, benthic images Upon completion of the fish survey, one diver photographed the benthos at 1-m intervals along the transect line (30 photographs per site). A 1-m PVC stick was used to position a digital camera directly above the substrate to frame a photograph approximately 0.7 m2 in area. Step 4: Analysis: Estimation of Biomass by Fish Groupings Fish biomass was calculated using the following allometric equation to estimate weight (w) from length (L) measurements: w = a × Lb The parameter a is a scaling coefficient for the weight at length of the fish species, and the parameter b is a shape parameter for the body form of the fish species. Biomass was calculated for each species at each site by averaging the two divers’ estimates. In estimating fish biomass, species data were pooled into “all fishes,” and into a number of trophic, taxonomic, and size groupings. The four trophic groupings used were: “primary consumers” (herbivores and detritivores); “secondary consumers” (omnivores and benthic invertivores); “planktivores”; and “piscivores”. Family-level data on emperors, snappers, breams, parrotfish, and groupers was also presented because of their general importance as fishery targets. Biomass was also pooled into size classes: small (0–20 cm), medium (21–50 cm), and large- bodied reef fish (greater than 50 cm). Results were compared to averages of reef fish biomass at populated and remote areas across the Pacific where NOAA CREP has conducted reef fish surveys at approximately 40 islands and atolls since 2009 using the same survey methods and largely the same personnel. Total biomass and each of the fish groupings from Timor-Leste were compared to Pacific-wide averages of remote and populated islands and atolls. Mean reference values are extensively used from NOAA CREP’s other surveys of those ‘remote’ and ‘populated’ islands to provide context to fish biomass values from Timor-Leste. While there are important other sources of natural variability among reefs, including biogeographic differences, the reference values serve as useful baselines for Pacific coral reefs—for example, reefs with significant human impacts including fishing are expected to be more similar to the Pacific ‘populated’ average than to the ‘remote’ average. Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Standard Operating Procedures: Data Collection for Rapid Ecological Assessment Fish Surveys 2011-12-01 publication Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC https://pifsc-www.irc.noaa.gov/library/pubs/admin/PIFSC_Admin_Rep_11-08.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Source Citation URL Source Citation URL information Coral Reef Fish Biomass and Benthic Cover Along the North Coast of Timor-Leste Based on Underwater Visual Surveys in June 2013 2015-03-20 publication Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC https://pifsc-www.irc.noaa.gov/library/pubs/DR-15-004.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Source Citation URL Source Citation URL information otherRestrictions otherRestrictions Access Constraints: None | Use Constraints: None