Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: line-point-intercept (LPI) surveys for benthic cover at coral reef sites across the Pacific Ocean from 2005-10-03 to 2012-05-19 (NCEI Accession 0163748)

A Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) survey is a collection of inter-disciplinary protocols for gathering data pertaining to ecologically relevant biological components of a reef habitat over small spatial scales. A key facet of a REA survey includes specialists in different disciplines, including Fish, Coral, Algae, and Invertebrates. The REA surveys are conducted along a set of transect lines that are laid out by the first team to enter the water (i.e., the fish team). In this way, all of the biotic observations are referenced with regard to the same spatial coordinates, producing a more integrated biological description of a reef community than would any single, specialized survey.

At each REA survey site, the Line-Point-Intercept (LPI) methodology is implemented to quantitatively document the benthic cover along two consecutively placed, 25 m line transects (with a 5 m inter-transect distance). The LPI diver determines the benthic composition at pre-determined intervals along the transect line. During the initial years (2005-2008) of the Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) LPI surveys were conducted at 50-cm intervals for a total of 50 data points per transect; subsequently (2010–2012) LPI surveys were conducted at 20-cm intervals for a total of 125 data points per transect.

All living benthic elements (e.g., coral, algae, and other sessile invertebrates) are identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible, often substituting functional group categories for turf algae and crustose coralline algae when identification in the field is extremely difficult. Raw survey data consist of counts of benthic elements, including but not limited to live coral, dead coral, carbonate pavement, sand, coral rubble, fleshy macroalgae, crustose coralline algae, turfalgae, as well as other sessile invertebrates along the two transects. The data allows for the assessment and monitoring of community structure and composition, and provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of percent benthic cover at higher taxonomic levels like functional group (live coral, macroalgae, turf algae) or on a finer taxonomic resolution such as genus level. However, actual percent benthic cover data is not included in this submission.

快速生态评估（REA）调查是一项跨学科协议的集合，旨在在小空间尺度上收集有关珊瑚栖息地生态相关生物组成部分的数据。REA调查的关键方面包括来自不同学科的专业人士，包括鱼类、珊瑚、海藻和无脊椎动物。REA调查沿着由首先进入水中的团队（即鱼类团队）设定的横断面线进行。通过这种方式，所有生物观察都被参照同一空间坐标，从而产生比任何单一专业调查更为综合的珊瑚群落生物描述。在每个REA调查现场，实施线点截取（LPI）方法，以定量记录沿两个依次放置的25米线状横断面（横断面间距离为5米）的底栖覆盖度。LPI潜水员在横断面线上预先确定的间隔内确定底栖组成。在珊瑚评估和监测计划（RAMP）的初始几年（2005-2008年），LPI调查以50厘米的间隔进行，每个横断面总计50个数据点；随后（2010-2012年），LPI调查以20厘米的间隔进行，每个横断面总计125个数据点。所有活着的底栖元素（例如，珊瑚、海藻和其他固着无脊椎动物）都被识别到可能的最底层分类水平，当现场鉴定极为困难时，通常用功能群体类别代替草坪藻和苔藓珊瑚藻。原始调查数据包括底栖元素的计数，包括但不限于活珊瑚、死珊瑚、碳酸盐路面、沙子、珊瑚碎片、肉质大型海藻、苔藓珊瑚藻、草坪藻以及其他固着无脊椎动物沿两个横断面的数据。这些数据允许对群落结构和组成进行评估和监测，并为计算较高分类水平（如功能群体[活珊瑚、大型海藻、草坪藻]或更精细的分类分辨率，如属水平）的底栖覆盖度百分比提供基础。然而，实际底栖覆盖度百分比数据并未包含在本提交中。