Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Rapid Ecological Assessments of Fish Large-Area Stationary Point Count Surveys (SPC) at Coral Reef Sites across the Pacific Ocean from 2000 to 2007

The large-area stationary point count (SPC) method was used to conduct reef fish surveys in the Hawaiian and Mariana Archipelagos, American Samoa, and the Pacific Remote Island Areas as part of NOAA's Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP). 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 (typically 10-15m, always < 30m) hard-bottom habitats. Stationary Point Counts (SPC) is one of several non-invasive underwater-survey methods to enumerate the diverse components of diurnally active shallow-water reef fish assemblages. At each REA survey sites, SPC fish surveys were conducted at 4 stations in conjunction with, but at least 10 m away from 3 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines to quantify relatively larger (>25 cm Total Length [TL]) and more vagile fish species(BLT). All fishes >25 cm TL are recorded to species-level that enter a 20 m diameter cylinder (area ~314 m2) during a timed 5 minute count. Individuals or groups are estimated to the nearest 5 cm TL size-class bin. Four replicate, 5 minute cylinder counts are conducted at each station. Care is taken to avoid over-counting large transient or schooling species. Transects lines and stations are typically set at depths of 10-15 m. Reef ledges and holes are visually searched. Stations are completed on all sides of the island/atoll, weather and sea conditions permitting. Raw survey data included species level abundance estimates.

大区域定点计数法（Stationary Point Count, SPC）被用于开展夏威夷群岛、马里亚纳群岛、美属萨摩亚以及太平洋偏远岛礁区域的礁栖鱼类调查，该工作作为美国国家海洋和大气管理局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA）太平洋珊瑚礁评估与监测计划（Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program, 简称Pacific RAMP）的一部分实施。该SPC方法可对浅水区（通常水深10~15米，且均不超过30米）硬质底栖生境中的昼行性礁栖鱼类类群的多样性（物种丰富度）、丰度（数值密度）以及生物量（单位面积鱼类总质量）进行编目记录。定点计数法（SPC）是多种非侵入式水下调查方法之一，用于统计浅水区昼行性礁栖鱼类类群的多样组成。在每个REA调查站点，研究人员会在与3条连续布设的25米样带相邻且间距至少10米的4个站位开展SPC鱼类调查，以量化体型相对较大（总长度[Total Length, TL]>25厘米）且活动能力更强的鱼类类群（BLT）。在为期5分钟的定时计数过程中，所有进入直径20米圆柱区域（面积约314平方米）内的总长度超过25厘米的鱼类均会被鉴定至物种水平。个体或鱼群的总长度会被估算至最接近的5厘米总长度分级组中。每个站位需开展4次重复的5分钟圆柱区域计数。调查过程中需注意避免对大型过境或集群性鱼类的重复计数。样带与站位通常布设于水深10~15米处，调查人员会目视搜寻珊瑚礁岩架与洞穴区域。若天气与海况允许，需在岛屿/环礁的所有方位布设并完成站位调查。原始调查数据包含物种水平的丰度估算值。