gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:36100 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 2026-03-04T19:17:25 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations in the Pacific Remote Island Areas from 2014 to 2018 NCRMP: Benthic Complexity/Urchin Abundance PRIAs 2016-12 creation 2019-03 revision 2019 publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 36100 NOAA doi:10.7289/V5BC3WV3 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36100 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/ecosystem_sciences/ WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Ecosystem Sciences Division NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center website download tableDigital Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data were collected as part of NOAA's ongoing National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). These data were gathered around the Pacific Remote Island Areas as a part of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) led missions from 2014 to 2018. During these missions, the variables of benthic complexity and urchin abundance were recorded by SCUBA divers during visual surveys at NCRMP climate stations. A select number of climate sites were chosen per island in hard-bottom habitat at 15-m depths in a stratified random fashion. To record benthic complexity, the divers ran a 15-m transect from the reference stake for the site and estimated two maximum vertical relief measurements per meter along the 15-m transect (based on an area of 0.5 m x 1 m to the left and 0.5 m x 1 m to the right of each meter on the transect) for a total of 30 measurements. The measurements were tallied into five substrate height bins, including 0-20 cm, 20-50 cm, 50-100 cm, 100-150 cm, and >150 cm. The total frequency for the five substrate height bins is 30 units for a 15-m transect. Maximum depth, minimum depth, and maximum vertical relief were also recorded for the climate station. Free and boring urchin abundance was estimated within the climate station and recorded using DACOR, an abundance code based on visual estimation; dominant (D), abundant (A), common (C), occasional (O), and rare (R). Structural complexity is known to be an important component in coral reef ecosystems. Ecosystem relationships that correlate with structural complexity include reef fish density and biomass, live and branching coral cover, urchin abundance and algal cover (Graham and Nash 2013). In many cases, the benthic complexity is an important indicator of benthic and fish communities. PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division and funded by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program completed Barkley, Hannah C 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA hannah.barkley@noaa.gov pointOfContact Barkley, Hannah C 1845 Wasp Blvd. Honolulu HI 96818 USA hannah.barkley@noaa.gov custodian asNeeded Updated March 2019 to add data collected in 2018 743 National Coral Reef Monitoring Program theme CRCP Project Numeric Data Sets > Benthic theme CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biological Classification > Animals/Invertebrates > ECHINODERMS > SEA URCHINS EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment 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 > Rugosity 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 HABITAT - BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE CENSUS theme NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS benthic survey - swimmer/diver visual estimate theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS HI'IALAKAI theme NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS CORAL REEF STUDIES Coral Reef Conservation Program National Coral Reef Monitoring Program theme NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division theme NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Baker Island (00N176W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Howland Island (00S176W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Jarvis Island (00S160W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Johnston Atoll (16N169W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Kingman Reef (06N162W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Wake Atoll (19N167E0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Baker Island > Baker Island (00N176W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Howland Island > Howland Island (00S176W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Johnston Atoll > Johnston Atoll (16N169W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Jarvis Island (00S160W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Kingman Reef (06N162W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Wake Atoll > Wake Atoll (19N167E0001) place CoRIS Place Thesaurus Equatorial Pacific Ocean Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument place NODC Sea Area Names Thesaurus CRED CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Division Coral Reef Ecosystem Program ESD Ecosystem Sciences Division PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center RAMP Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program theme PRIA PRIMNM Pacific Remote Island Areas 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 Pacific Remote Island Areas project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, [Date of Access]: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations in the Pacific Remote Island Areas from 2014 to 2018 [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36100. 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 PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) when using the data. Suggested citation: Ecosystem Sciences Division; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2019). National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations of the Pacific Remote Island Areas from 2014 to 2018. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/36100. 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 National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations in American Samoa from 2015 to 2018 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 36099 crossReference National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations of the Hawaiian Archipelago since 2013 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 36098 crossReference National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Benthic Complexity and Urchin Abundance at Climate Stations of the Mariana Archipelago since 2014 NOAA/NMFS/EDM 25251 crossReference NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA/NMFS/EDM 36100 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/pifsc/dmp/pdf/36100.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 oceans PIFSC Oracle database view: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA) including Baker, Howland, Jarvis, and Wake islands, Kingman Reef, and Johnston and Palmyra atolls. -176.623989 -159.97881 -0.38241 16.76343 Phoenix (Baker and Howland) and Line Islands (Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra), and Johnston Atoll. These six of the seven PRIA are routinely surveyed as part of the American Samoa RAMP (ASRAMP) missions (Johnston, Baker and Howland during the first leg of ASRAMP, and Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra during the last leg of ASRAMP). 166.5109 166.65155 19.27069 19.31625 Wake Island, one of the seven PRIA, is routinely surveyed as part of the Mariana Archipelago RAMP (MARAMP) missions. MARAMP 2014 | Currentness: Ground Condition 2014-03-16 2014-03-20 ASRAMP 2015 | Currentness: Ground Condition 2015-01-26 2015-04-27 | Currentness: Ground Condition 2017-04-19 2017-04-23 Time frame of surveys for benthic complexity and urchin abundance conducted at Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Kingman, and Palmyra during ASRAMP 2018. | Currentness: Ground Condition 2018-06-08 2018-08-10 The NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) details a long term approach to provide an ecosystem perspective via monitoring climate, fish, benthic, and socioeconomic variables in a consistent and integrated manner. The NCRMP coordinates various NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) biological, physical, and human dimensions activities into a cohesive NOAA-wide effort. Through the implementation of the NCRMP, NOAA is able to clearly and concisely communicate results of national-scale monitoring to national, state, and territorial policy makers, resource managers, and the public on a periodic basis. NCRMP is a framework for conducting sustained observations of biological, climate, and socioeconomic indicators at 10 priority coral reefs across the U.S. and its territories. This integrated approach consolidates monitoring of coral reefs under a uniform method in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico for the first time. NCRMP is funded by the CRCP and supported by NOAA Fisheries, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), and many other partners. The Ecosystem Sciences Division at NOAA Fisheries is leading climate monitoring in the U.S. Pacific Islands Region. The climate component of NCRMP in the Pacific provides a comprehensive view of climate change impacts on coral reef ecosystems and helps identify areas of resilience and vulnerability. The key indicators used to identify and monitor climate-driven trends include 1) thermal stress caused by changes in sea temperature, 2) ocean acidification resulting from changes in carbonate chemistry, and 3) ecological impacts by collecting data on coral growth rates, erosion, and community structure to understand the impacts of thermal stress and ocean acidification on the ecosystem. Each year, ESD scientists work closely with CRCP and partners during Pacific RAMP missions to collect data using moored oceanographic (subsurface temperature recorders) and ecological (calcification accretion units [CAUs] and autonomous reef monitoring structures [ARMS]) instruments stationed at fixed sites in the Pacific Ocean, and water samples collected by divers. The in-situ data and satellite-based observations are also used in modeling efforts. Innovative analysis techniques are used to develop products that give fellow scientists, managers, decision makers and the public a better understanding of a region's resources and how they are changing over time. false eng false Data View View: V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY 2018-10-27 publication CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) ERDDAP Data Service 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/0159160 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY PRIAs 2014.csv Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across Wake Island in 2014. download https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0159146 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY PRIAs 2015.csv Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas in 2015. download https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0167408 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY PRIAs 2017.csv Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program at sites across Wake Island in 2017. download https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0187898 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link V0_TOPOGRAPHIC_COMPLEXITY PRIAs 2018.csv Benthic complexity and urchin abundance data captured by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division at sites across the Pacific Remote Island Areas during ASRAMP 2018. download https://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/CRCP_Benthic_Complexity_Urchin_Abundance_Pacific.html WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://ecowatch.ncddc.noaa.gov/erddap/tabledap/CRCP_Benthic_Complexity_Urchin_Abundance_Pacific.html NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) ERDDAP web service for the benthic complexity and urchin abundance data collected by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) at sites across the Pacific Islands Region during ESD-led NOAA National Coral Reef Monitoring Program missions from 2013 to 2018. ERDDAP acts as a middleman between you and various remote data servers. ERDDAP offers an easy-to-use, consistent way to request data: via the OPeNDAP standard. Many datasets can also be accessed via ERDDAP's Web Map Service (WMS). ERDDAP returns data in the common file format of your choice. ERDDAP offers all data as .html table, ESRI .asc and .csv, Google Earth .kml, OPeNDAP binary, .mat, .nc, ODV .txt, .csv, .tsv, .json, and .xhtml. ERDDAP can also return a .png or .pdf image with a customized graph or map. ERDDAP also has web pages (for humans with browsers) and RESTful web services (for computer programs). download dataset Accuracy Observations at each site were made by divers who have been trained in the benthic complexity and urchin abundance estimate protocols. Between years there may be some variance in the location of the transect tape due to oceanographic conditions. Visual estimates of abundance are useful as a broad indication of the urchin assemblages present at each survey site, but there is scope for error in diver estimates of this type. Analytical Accuracy The benthic complexity surface relief measurements are recorded as frequencies and binned into 1 of 5 classification categories (0-20 cm, 20-50 cm, 50-100 cm, 100-150 cm, >150 cm). DACOR (dominant, abundant, common, occasional, rare) abundance codes are used to quantify urchins in the NCRMP climate station. The number of free urchins and boring urchins within the climate station is visually estimated. Completeness Report Only sites classified as NCRMP climate stations / permanent sites were surveyed in shallow water (0-30 m depths) hard-bottom habitats for benthic complexity and urchin abundance data. The data are complete as entered. Any null values recorded are due to an incomplete field survey and not by omission. Conceptual Consistency Survey methods were consistent across all sites. Benthic complexity (i.e., substrate height) and urchin abundance survey method employed by the PIFSC Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) since 2013. ESD's use of the 5-category method for benthic complexity was adapted from the University on North Carolina at Wilmington’s Protocol for Measuring Topographic Complexity. The category delineations for benthic complexity and urchin abundance are the same as those employed by ESD's fish team. Climate Station/Site Selection: A select number of National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) climate stations per island were established in a stratified random fashion to be roughly equally spaced around the island along the 15-m contour on hard-bottom habitat and at least 1 km away from a river mouth or embayment. Barkley, Hannah C hannah.barkley@noaa.gov processor Maximum Vertical Relief / Substrate Height: At the NCRMP climate station SCUBA divers ran a 15-m transect from the reference stake. Along the 15-m transect tape, two maximum vertical relief measurements per meter were tallied (based on an area of 0.5 m x 1 m to the left and 0.5 m x 1 m to the right of each meter on the transect) for a total of 30 measurements. The total frequency # for the five substrate height bins should add up to 30 units for a 15-m transect. Maximum depth, minimum depth, and maximum vertical relief were also recorded for the climate station. These measurements are defined as: Maximum depth - deepest point in the NCRMP climate station Minimum depth - shallowest point in the NCRMP climate station Maximum vertical relief - height of tallest reef structure present within the NCRMP climate station. Barkley, Hannah C hannah.barkley@noaa.gov processor Free and Boring Urchin Abundance: Urchin abundance was estimated by conducting a visual census of free and boring urchins within the NCRMP climate station and was recorded using DACOR, an abundance code based on visual estimation: dominant (D), abundant (A), common (C), occasional (O), and rare (R). For Free Urchins, DACOR categories are quantified as: D: 101-999 A: 51-100 C: 21-50 O: 6-20 R: 0-5 For Boring Urchins, DACOR categories are quantified as: D: 501-999 A: 251-500 C: 101-250 O: 26-100 R: 0-25 Barkley, Hannah C hannah.barkley@noaa.gov processor otherRestrictions otherRestrictions Access Constraints: None | Use Constraints: None