{
    "identifier": "gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:31611",
    "accessLevel": "public",
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        "@type": "vcard:Contact",
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        "hasEmail": "mailto:[email protected]"
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    "programCode": [
        "010:000"
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    "landingPage": "",
    "title": "Benthic Surveys in Vatia, American Samoa: benthic cover derived from analysis of benthic images collected during belt transect surveys of coral demography in 2015 and 2020",
    "description": "Jurisdictional managers have expressed concerns that nutrients from the village of Vatia, Tutuila, American Samoa, are having an adverse effect on the adjacent coral reef ecosystem. Excess nutrient loads promote increases in algal growth that can have deleterious effects on corals, such as benthic algae outcompeting and overgrowing corals. Nitrogen and phosphorus can also directly impact corals by lowering fertilization success, and reducing both photosynthesis and calcification rates. Land-based contributions of nutrients come from a variety of sources; in Vatia the most likely sources are poor wastewater management from piggeries and septic systems.\n\nNOAA scientists conducted benthic surveys to establish a baseline against which to compare changes in the algal and coral assemblages in response to nutrient fluxes.\n\nThe benthic cover data described here were generated from the quantitative analysis of photoquadrat benthic images using image analysis software, whereby random points are projected on each image and the benthic elements falling directly underneath each point are identified. The images were collected at 18 and 24 stratified randomly selected sites in 2015 and 2020  respectively,  during belt transect surveys of coral demography by the NOAA Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD; former Coral Reef Ecosystem Program CREP).  Five of the 18 sites surveyed in 2015 were resurveyed periodically in 2016 (January, March, June, September, and December) to assess any short-term temporal changes in the benthic composition.\n\nThe benthic cover data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive. The benthic images and coral demography data are described and archived separately.",
    "language": "",
    "distribution": [
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            "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
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            "accessURL": "https:\/\/www.ncei.noaa.gov\/metadata\/geoportal\/\/rest\/metadata\/item\/gov.noaa.nmfs.inport%3A31611"
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            "accessURL": "https:\/\/www.ncei.noaa.gov\/metadata\/geoportal\/\/rest\/metadata\/item\/gov.noaa.nmfs.inport%3A31611\/html"
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    ],
    "bureauCode": [
        "010:04"
    ],
    "modified": "2025-04-04T14:14:12.873Z",
    "publisher": {
        "@type": "org:Organization",
        "name": "Your Publisher"
    },
    "theme": "",
    "keyword": [
        "31090",
        "31259",
        "Eutrophication Impacts on Coral Ecosystem Health in Vatia",
        "Status and trends assessment for LBSP impacts on reef communities in Faga'alu Bay and Vatia Bay",
        "Numeric Data Sets > Benthic",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat > Coral cover",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algal Cover",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Crustose Coralline Algae",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Encrusting Macroalgae",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Fleshy Macroalgae",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Turf Algae",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Baseline studies",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring > Belt Transect",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis",
        "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 > Benthic biology",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Coral Cover",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Hard Coral Cover",
        "EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology > Octocoral Cover",
        "REEF AND\/OR BOTTOM REGIME - PERCENT COVER",
        "survey - biological",
        "survey - coral reef",
        "survey - diver",
        "survey - photographs",
        "CORAL REEF STUDIES",
        "Coral Reef Conservation Program",
        "US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Ecosystem Sciences Division; Coral Reef Ecosystem Program",
        "COUNTRY\/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Tutuila Island > Vatia Bay (14S170W0028)",
        "OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Tutuila Island > Vatia Bay (14S170W0028)",
        "South Pacific Ocean",
        "CRED",
        "CREP",
        "Coral Reef Ecosystem Division",
        "Coral Reef Ecosystem Program",
        "ESD",
        "Ecosystem Sciences Division",
        "PIFSC",
        "Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center",
        "DOC\/NOAA\/NMFS\/PIFSC > Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
        "Benthic Missions",
        "biota"
    ]
}