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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Benthic percent cover derived from analysis of benthic images collected at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste in 2013 and 2014 (NCEI Accession 0168620)

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The benthic cover data described here result from benthic photo-quadrat surveys conducted by the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) in hard bottom shallow water (< 15 m) habitats in Timor-Leste during reef fish surveys surveys at 150 sites that were selected using a stratified random sampling design in June 2013, and along transects at fixed climate survey sites in September-October 2014 (10 sites and 8 sites, respectively).

Climate sites were established by CREP to establish ecological baselines for climate change by measuring multiple features of the coral reef environment (in addition to the data described herein) over time. The reef fish surveys were conducted to generate baseline data on the nearshore coral reef fish assemblages and associated benthic communities around Timor-Leste's north coast and Atauro Island.

Percent benthic cover for each site is estimated from a photo-transect (30 photographs, taken at 1-m intervals, 10+ points analyzed per photograph using Coral Point Count with Extensions). NA values represent situations where images were either not gathered or not analyzed.

These benthic cover data for Timor-Leste provide an estimate of the benthic community composition at each survey site, and give context to the results from the other survey components. The benthic images, and the associated reef fish survey data and parameters measured to establish ecological baselines for climate change are documented separately.
  • Cite as: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2017). Benthic percent cover derived from analysis of benthic images collected at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste in 2013 and 2014 (NCEI Accession 0168620). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0168620. Accessed [date].
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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 2013-06-04 to 2014-10-09
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: 124
East: 127.5
South: -9.5
North: -8.1
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
  • Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2017: Benthic percent cover derived from analysis of benthic images collected at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste in 2013 and 2014, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/46161.
  • Desrochers, A., Ehses, J., Huntington, B., McCoy, K., Moews, M., Oliver, Thomas (Thomas Andrew), Sudnovsky, M., Suka, R., Timmers, M. A., Vargas-Ángel, Bernardo, 1965-, & Brainard, R. (2017). Interdisciplinary baseline ecosystem assessment surveys to Inform ecosystem-based management planning in Timor-Leste : final report. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. https://doi.org/10.7289/v5/sp-pifsc-17-002
  • Kohler, K. E., & Gill, S. M. (2006). Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe): A Visual Basic program for the determination of coral and substrate coverage using random point count methodology. Computers & Geosciences, 32(9), 1259–1269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2005.11.009
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2017-12-02
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 images used in this analysis were archived separately and can be found in this archive package:
Benthic images collected at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste from 2012-10-15 to 2014-10-09 (NCEI Accession 0166378)
Purpose In 2011, NOAA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Timor-Leste Mission formed a 5-year bi-lateral partnership agreement from 2012 to 2016, in support of the Government of Timor-Leste—particularly the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF)—by addressing significant information gaps in their nearshore marine ecosystems. Specifically, MAF asked NOAA to address the following questions: 1. Where are the nearshore marine resources? 2. What are the nearshore marine resources? 3. How are they changing over time and what threats are potentially causing these changes? 4. What approaches are needed to manage and conserve the nearshore marine resources? With financial support from USAID and in-kind support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), the NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (NOAA-CREP) conducted baseline ecosystem assessment surveys to inform ecosystem-based management planning in Timor-Leste. The primary activities conducted by NOAA to answer these questions included: 1. satellite mapping of nearshore habitats, 2. conducting coral reef ecosystem assessments, 3. establishing ecological baselines for climate change, and 4. building management capacity by developing a spatial data framework The benthic cover data described herein resulted from the second and third activities to conduct coral reef ecosystem assessments (2013) and establish ecological baselines for climate change (2014).
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: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2017). Benthic percent cover derived from analysis of benthic images collected at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste in 2013 and 2014 (NCEI Accession 0168620). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0168620. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
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Acknowledgments
  • Funding Agency: US DOS; United States Agency for International Development
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
  • Numeric Data Sets > Benthic
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Microbiota > Blue-green Algae
  • 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 > Turf Algae
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals
  • 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 > Quadrat Monitoring > Photograph Analysis
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Biological
  • 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
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Marine Invertebrates
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Contributing Organizations
  • CRED
  • CREP
  • Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
  • Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
  • PIFSC
  • Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
  • USAID
  • United States Agency for International Development
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS CoRIS Place Thesaurus
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor) (09S126E0001)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Indian Ocean > Timor Sea > Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor) (09S126E0001)
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords Provider Place Names
  • Atauro
  • Baucau
  • Bobonaro
  • Dili
  • Lautem
  • Liquica
  • Manatuto
  • Oecusse
  • Timor-Leste
  • Vila MPA
Project keywords NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Keywords Send2NCEI Submission Package ID
  • X1150E
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2017). Benthic percent cover derived from analysis of benthic images collected at coral reef sites in Timor-Leste in 2013 and 2014 (NCEI Accession 0168620). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0168620. 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.
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Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • 2017-12-02T01:30:21Z - NCEI Accession 0168620 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • The benthic photoquadrat imagery were analyzed using Coral Point Count with Excel extensions (CPCe; Kohler and Gill 2006) software. CPCe assigns 10 random points per photo and the benthic elements falling directly underneath each point is identified to two functional group levels: Tier 1 (e.g. hard coral, soft coral, macroalgae, turf algae, etc.) and Tier 2 (e.g. Hard coral by morphology = massive, branching, foliose, encrusting, etc.; Macroalgae = upright macroalgae, encrusting macroalgae, bluegreen macroalgae, and Halimeda, etc.). The detailed list of each functional group level or tier is included in the benthic image analysis classification scheme
  • Raw survey data includes unique image name and individual point observations identified at two functional group levels of benthic cover with the corresponding physical data which reflect the description of the site. The physical data for all records includes the following: region, island, site, date (day, month, year), latitude (dd), longitude (dd), reef zone, habitat type, depth category, minimum depth and maximum depth
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • photograph
Last Modified: 2025-05-06T14:21:46Z
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