Benthic photoquadrat imagery and benthic cover data collected in Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef in American Samoa from 2024-11-11 to 2024-11-21 (NCEI Accession 0308219)

This data package includes benthic imagery, raw benthic cover, mean benthic cover, and mean macroalgae cover data of Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef in American Samoa in 2024, produced from the benthic imagery analysis performed by the Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) of the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) and funded by the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). Benthic imagery was collected at 20 randomly-selected sites during coral demographic surveys by the NOAA ESD during the 2024 fly-in mission to American Samoa (MP2502). After processing and sorting site photos, imagery was qualitatively analyzed using the web-based CoralNet image annotation tool. CoralNet projects random points on each image, and the benthic elements falling directly underneath each point are identified by trained scientists.

Data from benthic surveys of Nu'uuli Pala Lagoon and Backreef establishes a comprehensive biological baseline for land-based sources of pollution impacts on benthic composition and coral demography. 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 impacts on coral reefs.

This data was funded by CRCP Project #31454 titled "Develop monitoring capacity of American Samoan jurisdictional partners and observing LBSP impacts on coral reefs".