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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

NCCOS Assessment: Benthic habitat maps of Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (NCEI Accession 0162517)

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Highly detailed maps of benthic habitats within the lagoon along the western shore of Saipan were created by NOAA NCCOS. This data collection includes the information used to create these detailed maps, including: 1) a high resolution satellite image, 2) depths derived from this satellite image, 3) in situ habitat information, 4) 12 predictions describing the probability of occurrence for five substrate and seven biological cover types, and 5) a composite habitat map showing the spatial distribution of seven commonly co-occurring substrate and biological cover types inside the lagoon.
  • Cite as: Kendall, Matthew; Costa, Bryan; McKagan, Steve; Johnston, Lyza (2017). NCCOS Assessment: Benthic habitat maps of Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (NCEI Accession 0162517). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5nv9gb9. Accessed [date].
gov.noaa.nodc:0162517
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Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
+1-301-713-3277
NCEI.Info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Time Period 2001-03-09 to 2016-08-09
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: 145.676
East: 145.839
South: 15.062
North: 15.308
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2017-05-19
Data Presentation Form Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status Complete - production of the data has been completed
Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency As needed
Supplemental Information
The lagoon along the western shore of Saipan encompasses a diverse coral ecosystem that plays a leading role in attracting nearly half a million tourists annually for snorkeling, diving, parasailing, kayaking, and use of personal watercraft. Understanding the present spatial distribution of valuable lagoon habitats is needed to evaluate zoning scenarios, minimize user conflicts, ensure public safety, and prevent environmental degradation inside the Lagoon. The main objective of this project was to support these decisions by producing new, highly detailed maps of benthic habitats within the Lagoon. The performance and accuracy of these predictions and maps were evaluated by local experts and using an independent dataset. The performance of the predictions was considered "good to excellent" since they had little bias (mean = 2% ± 1% SE) and explained over a third of the variation in the data (mean percent deviance explained = 33.0% ± 4.8% SE). The overall thematic accuracy of the composite map was 86% with user's accuracy of individual habitat classes between 80% and 100% correct. These accuracies are similar to the other benthic habitat maps created by NOAA NCCOS in the Pacific Region. Consequently, these products can be used with confidence for a variety of research and management applications, including inform the process to update the Saipan Lagoon Use Management Plan (SLUMP). Products from this assessment may also support coastal and ocean management efforts by other territorial and federal agencies working in Saipan, CNMI. CNMI's Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ) and NOAA's Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) partnered with NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to develop updated habitat maps and assess habitat changes in Saipan Lagoon,CNMI. NCCOS developed these spatially resolved maps using environmental predictors, underwater videos/photos and mathematical modeling techniques. The new maps were designed to inform the Saipan Lagoon Use Management Plan (SLUMP), which is being updated in response to changes in lagoon habitats, user activities, and increases in tourism. Understanding the present spatial distribution of benthic habitats is an important part of the Territorial Government's process to evaluate zoning scenarios, minimize user conflicts, ensure public safety, and prevent environmental degradation inside the lagoon. Products from this assessment may also support coastal and ocean management efforts by other territorial and federal agencies working in Saipan. This work was funded by NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP Project #31100).
Purpose CNMI's Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ) and NOAA's Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) partnered with NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to develop updated habitat maps and assess habitat changes in Saipan Lagoon,CNMI. NCCOS developed these spatially resolved maps using environmental predictors, underwater videos/photos and mathematical modeling techniques. The new maps were designed to inform the Saipan Lagoon Use Management Plan (SLUMP), which is being updated in response to changes in lagoon habitats, user activities, and increases in tourism. Understanding the present spatial distribution of benthic habitats is an important part of the Territorial Government's process to evaluate zoning scenarios, minimize user conflicts, ensure public safety, and prevent environmental degradation inside the lagoon. Products from this assessment may also support coastal and ocean management efforts by other territorial and federal agencies working in Saipan. This work was funded by NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP Project #31100).
Use Limitations
  • accessLevel: Public
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: Kendall, Matthew; Costa, Bryan; McKagan, Steve; Johnston, Lyza (2017). NCCOS Assessment: Benthic habitat maps of Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (NCEI Accession 0162517). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5nv9gb9. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
Principal Investigators
Collaborators
Contributors
Resource Providers
Points of Contact
Publishers
Acknowledgments
  • Funding Agency: NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
  • Funding Agency: NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
  • Geographic Information > Bathymetry
  • Geographic Information > Habitats
  • Map Images > Coral Mapping
  • Map Images > Habitats
  • Map Images > IKONOS
  • Map Images > Topography
  • Numeric Data Sets > Benthic
  • Visual Images > Corals
  • Visual Images > Habitats
  • Visual Images > Seagrass
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algae Cover
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Calcareous Macroalgae
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Crustose Coralline Algae
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Fleshy Macroalgae
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Turf Algae
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > ESA Listed Species
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Physical
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Mapping > Base map > Satellite Imagery
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Mapping > Habitat Mapping
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis > Videography
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Remote Sensing > Satellite (digital scans) > Multispectral Analysis
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Remote Sensing > Satellite (digital scans) > WorldView-2
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Bathymetry
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Hard Seafloor Substrate
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Rugosity
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Slope
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Soft Seafloor Substrate
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Water Depth
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Plants > Seagrass
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords NCCOS Keywords
  • Predictive/Spatial Modeling
NCCOS Research Areas
  • Marine Spatial Ecology > Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments
NCCOS Research Data Types
  • Derived Data Product
  • Geospatial
  • Model
Provider Keywords
  • Benthic biological cover
  • Benthic substrate
  • Geographical Distribution
  • Mathematical Models
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS CoRIS Place Thesaurus
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Saipan > Saipan Island (15N145E0002)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Saipan Island > Saipan Island (15N145E0002)
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords NCCOS Place Keywords
  • Geographic Area > Coastal Ocean
  • Geographic Area > Continental Shelf
  • Geographic Area > Coral Reefs
  • Region > U.S. Pacific
NCCOS Regions of Study
  • U.S. States and Territories > CNMI
Provider Place Names
  • Lighthouse Reef Trochus Sanctuary
  • Managaha Marine Conservation District
  • Saipan
  • Saipan Lagoon
  • Western Pacific
Project keywords NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS CRCP Project
  • 31100
  • Mapping Habitat Change in Saipan Lagoon, CNMI
Provider Project Names
  • NCCOS Project No. 271: Mapping Habitat Change in Saipan Lagoon, CNMI
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Keywords Send2NCEI Submission Package ID
  • ML2HRK
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Kendall, Matthew; Costa, Bryan; McKagan, Steve; Johnston, Lyza (2017). NCCOS Assessment: Benthic habitat maps of Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (NCEI Accession 0162517). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5nv9gb9. Accessed [date].
Access Constraints
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees
  • In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • 2017-05-19T03:25:03Z - NCEI Accession 0162517 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • Data Type: Benthic Habitat Type (calculated); Units: n/a; Observation Type: model output; Sampling Instrument: documentation only - no instrument type; Sampling and Analyzing Method: The probability of occurrence for five substrate and seven cover types were predicted using a satellite image, underwater videos and boosted regression trees. Boostrapping was used to estimate the precision of these predictions. A composite habitat map was created from these predictions using boosted classification trees. The performance and accuracy of these predictions and map were evaluated using an independent dataset. Please see the following publication for more details: Kendall et al. (2017).; Data Quality Information: Substrate and cover predictions and the composite habitat map were reviewed and accepted by local subject matter experts and resource managers in Saipan, CNMI. The performance of these predictions and the accuracy of this habitat map were also assessed using an independent dataset. Please see the following publication for more details: Kendall et al. (2017).
  • Data Type: NCCOS Keywords (calculated); Units: n/a; Observation Type: other; Sampling Instrument: n/a; Data Quality Information: NCCOS Research Priority > Marine Spatial Ecology (MSE) NCCOS Research Topic > Ecological/Biological Characterization NCCOS Research Topic > Predictive/Spatial Modeling NCCOS Research Location > Region > U.S. Pacific NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) NCCOS Research Location > Geographic Area > Coral Reefs NCCOS Research Location > Geographic Area > Coastal Ocean NCCOS Research Location > Geographic Area > Continental Shelf NCCOS Research Data Type > Geospatial NCCOS Research Data Type > Model NCCOS Research Data Type > Derived Data Product.
  • Data Type: CoRIS Keywords (calculated); Units: n/a; Observation Type: other; Sampling Instrument: n/a; Data Quality Information: Place: COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Saipan > Saipan Island (15N145E0002) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Saipan Island > Saipan Island (15N145E0002) Discovery: Geographic Information > Habitats Map Images > Bathymetry Map Images > Coral Mapping Map Images > Habitats Map Images > IKONOS Map Images > Topography Numeric Data Sets > Benthic Visual Images > Habitats Visual Images > Corals Visual Images > Seagrass Theme: EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Mapping > Habitat Mapping EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Mapping > Base map > Satellite Imagery EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Remote Sensing > Satellite (digital scans) > Multispectral Analysis EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Remote Sensing > Satellite (digital scans) > WorldView-2 EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Bathymetry EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Rugosity EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Slope EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Water Depth EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Hard Seafloor Substrate EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Soft Seafloor Substrate EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > ESA Listed Species EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Plants > Seagrass EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Algae Cover EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Calcareous Macroalgae EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Crustose Coralline Algae EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Fleshy Macroalgae EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Vegetation > Algae > Turf Algae EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Physical EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Photographic Analysis > Videography.
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • camera
  • satellite sensor - general
  • video camera
Last Modified: 2024-09-17T19:14:57Z
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