Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

NCCOS Assessment: MPA Boundary Efficacy and Biotic Movements in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve: Tagging and Tracking Fish with Acoustic Telemetry in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 2017-04-18 to 2019-06-24 (NCEI Accession 0280248)

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This dataset includes raw acoustic telemetry detection data for fish tagged with Vemco/Innovasea acoustic transmitters in Salt River Bay, St. Croix from 2017 through 2019, along with pertinent metadata. Detection data were obtained from an array of underwater acoustic receivers deployed across the study area, which detected and logged transmissions from tagged fish. Each receiver had a detection radius of 50-200 m for tags. Detection data include identifying information for each fish tag, timestamp of detection, and positional information for the receiver that detected the tag.

Note: Data were exported in a tabular .csv format from proprietary Innovasea VUE software. Metadata included only describes those fish tagged for this project and those acoustic receivers deployed for this project. The total dataset includes many unidentified detections, which are either false detections for tags from other studies in the region. There are also a small proportion of detections included in this dataset that are from this project’s tags, but were detected on other non-NOAA projects’ acoustic receivers located outside of Salt River Bay. While there is less metadata included for these outside receivers, their serial numbers and coordinates are still included in this dataset, providing a full picture of this project’s tag movements.

Dataset Citation

Cite as: Kendall, Matt; Siceloff, Laughlin; Monaco, Mark; Winship, Arliss; Williams, Bethany (2023). NCCOS Assessment: MPA Boundary Efficacy and Biotic Movements in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve: Tagging and Tracking Fish with Acoustic Telemetry in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 2017-04-18 to 2019-06-24 (NCEI Accession 0280248). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/615w-e811. Accessed [date].

Dataset Identifiers

ISO 19115-2 Metadata

gov.noaa.nodc:0280248

Full Text · XML

Download Data	HTTPS (download) Navigate directly to the URL for data access and direct download. FTP (download) These data are available through the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is no longer supported by most internet browsers. You may copy and paste the FTP link to the data into an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla or WinSCP).
Distribution Formats	CSV VRL File Specification: VEMCO detection events
Ordering Instructions	Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
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	2017-04-18 to 2019-06-24
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates	West: -64.7841 East: -64.4207 South: 17.7336 North: 17.833
Spatial Coverage Map

General Documentation

NCEI Dataset Landing Page
Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links.
Descriptive Information
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Associated Resources

Kendall, M. S., Siceloff, L., Ruffo, A., Winship, A., & Monaco, M. E. (2021). Green morays (Gymnothorax funebris) have sedentary ways in mangrove bays, but also ontogenetic forays to reef enclaves. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 104(8), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-021-01137-0
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-021-01137-0
  journal article
Kendall, M. S., Siceloff, L., Monaco, M. E., Ruffo, A., Winship, A. J., & Holloway, N. H. (2021). Measuring mutual movements, mixing, and mingling among multiple mangrove bays by an important estuarine sea bream (Archosargus rhomboidalis). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 252, 107254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107254
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107254
  journal article
Kendall, M. S., Williams, B. L., Ruffo, A., Winship, A. J., Siceloff, L., Adams, A., & Tobias, W. (2021). Resampling 25 years later reveals fewer species but higher abundance of juvenile fishes in a Caribbean mangrove bay. Bulletin of Marine Science, 97(1), 53–74. https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2020.0005
- https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2020.0005
  journal article
Williams, Bethany; Kendall, Matt; Siceloff, Laughlin (2024). NCCOS Assessment: Fish tracking data from East End Marine Park in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands from 2019-11-08 to 2022-09-27 (NCEI Accession 0290601). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/ktp9-0s78.
- https://doi.org/10.25921/ktp9-0s78
  Associated NCEI dataset
Acoustic Tracking of Fish Movements to Support Habitat Management
- https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/acoustic-tracking-fish-movements-coral-reef-us-virgin-islands/
  National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) project page

Publication Dates	publication: 2023-08-08
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
Purpose	The purpose of this dataset was to map movement patterns of reef and mangrove fish among habitat types in and around Salt River Bay and Canyon. NOAA/NCCOS/MSE (Marine Spatial Ecology branch) telemetry assets and research were deployed on the island of St. Croix to address priority Virgin Islands DPNR (Department of Planning and Natural Resources) research topics in the Salt River area and to support the US Caribbean Acoustic Network (USCAN). This study was part of a collaboration with USCAN including the National Park Service (NPS), University of the Virgin Islands, and other organizations. NCCOS/MSE researchers sought to understand the function of the natural and restored mangroves in the Salt River Bay system as fish habitat, their connectivity with the reef and canyon outside the bay, and broader connections to other reef areas and spawning locations more widely around St. Croix. The overarching goal was to provide managers at DPNR and NPS with data and information needed to understand the Salt River Bay ecosystem, the residence time of fish in the area, movements between the bay and canyon, and connections and relationship to other reef areas around St. Croix.
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, Matt; Siceloff, Laughlin; Monaco, Mark; Winship, Arliss; Williams, Bethany (2023). NCCOS Assessment: MPA Boundary Efficacy and Biotic Movements in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve: Tagging and Tracking Fish with Acoustic Telemetry in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 2017-04-18 to 2019-06-24 (NCEI Accession 0280248). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/615w-e811. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors	Kendall, Matt US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Siceloff, Laughlin US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Monaco, Mark NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Winship, Arliss CSS, Inc., under contract to NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Williams, Bethany NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Principal Investigators	Matt Kendall NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Collaborators	Clayton Pollock National Park Service (NPS) Nathaniel Holloway National Park Service (NPS) Ashley Ruffo NOAA Fisheries (NMFS) Kristen Ewen National Park Service (NPS) Virgin Islands DPNR (Department of Planning and Natural Resources) US Caribbean Acoustic Network (USCAN) National Park Service (NPS) University of the Virgin Islands (UVI)
Contributors	NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) National Park Service (NPS) NOAA Fisheries (NMFS)
Resource Providers	NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Points of Contact	Laughlin Siceloff NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) NCCOS Data Manager NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)
Publishers	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Acknowledgments	Funding Agency: US DOC; NOAA; NOS; Coral Reef Conservation Program Funding Agency: US DOC; NOAA; NOS; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Theme keywords	NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS ANIMALS - INDIVIDUAL - MARKS OR TAGS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS biological in situ laboratory analyses WMO_CategoryCode oceanography CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus Geographic Information > Biology Geographic Information > Ecological Characterization Geographic Information > Marine Management Areas Numeric Data Sets > Biology Numeric Data Sets > Geography CoRIS Theme Thesaurus EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Coastal Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Estuarine Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs > Coral Reef Ecology EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish Assemblages EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Fish > Fish Behavior NCCOS Research Areas Marine Spatial Ecology > Ecological and Biogeographic Assessments Marine Spatial Ecology > Regional Ecosystem Science NCCOS Research Data Types Field Observation Provider Keywords Acoustic Tag ID Acoustic receiver’s latitude and longitude positional coordinates Tag detection timestamp (MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm:ss)
Data Center keywords	NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS National Park Service NOAA Fisheries NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords DOC/NOAA/NMFS > National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce DOI/NPS > National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Instrument keywords	NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS acoustic sensor Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords ACOUSTIC RECEIVERS Provider Instruments Handheld GPS Innovasea/Vemco acoustic VR2 receiver
Place keywords	NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Caribbean Sea CoRIS Place Thesaurus COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > St. Croix > Buck Island (17N064W0006) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > St. Croix > Buck Island Reef (17N064W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > St. Croix > Salt River Bay (17N064W0022) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > St. Croix > St. Croix (17N064W0003) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Buck Island > Buck Island (17N064W0006) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Lesser Antilles > U. S. Virgin Islands (17N064W0000) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > St. Croix > Buck Island Reef (17N064W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > St. Croix > Salt River Bay (17N064W0022) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Virgin Islands > St. Croix (17N064W0003) Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA NCCOS Regions of Study U.S. States and Territories > U.S. Virgin Islands Waterbodies > Caribbean Sea Provider Place Names Buck Island Reef National Monument Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve St. Croix East End Marine Park
Project keywords	NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS CORAL REEF STUDIES CRCP Project CRCP Project 31190 MPA Boundary efficacy and biotic movements in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve
Keywords	NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 0280248
Keywords	Send2NCEI Submission Package ID TP6M69

Use Constraints	Cite as: Kendall, Matt; Siceloff, Laughlin; Monaco, Mark; Winship, Arliss; Williams, Bethany (2023). NCCOS Assessment: MPA Boundary Efficacy and Biotic Movements in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve: Tagging and Tracking Fish with Acoustic Telemetry in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 2017-04-18 to 2019-06-24 (NCEI Accession 0280248). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/615w-e811. 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	2023-08-08T15:54:00Z - NCEI Accession 0280248 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets	NCEI Accession 0280248 v1.1 NCEI Accession 0280248 v1.1 (download) published 2023-08-08T15:54:00Z

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	Parameter or Variable: Acoustic Tag ID (measured); Units: Text; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Innovasea/Vemco acoustic VR2 receiver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Acoustic tags implanted in study animals transmit a coded series of pings every 30-60 seconds underwater. The study’s acoustic receivers have a detection radius of 50-200 meters depending on receiver location. If the acoustic tag pings within range, the acoustic receiver can decipher the transmission and identify and log the unique ID associated with the tag and animal. The receiver can be manually downloaded to retrieve this data record Parameter or Variable: Tag detection timestamp (MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm:ss) (measured); Units: time and date (MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm) in UTC format; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Innovasea/Vemco acoustic VR2 receiver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: When an acoustic receiver receives an acoustic tag transmission within range and successfully identifies and records the tag ID number (see above parameter), it also records a timestamp of when that tag was detected. Parameter or Variable: Acoustic receiver’s latitude and longitude positional coordinates (calculated); Units: Decimal Degrees (DD.DDDDD); Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: Handheld GPS; Sampling and Analyzing Method: When an acoustic receiver is deployed at an array station location, GPS coordinates are recorded in the field. These positional coordinates are later assigned during preliminary data download and analysis to every acoustic tag detection logged by the receiver at that station. While the precise location of a tagged animal is not known, the known location of the receiver detecting that animal gives a rough approximation of the animal’s location within 50 - 200 meters (the detection range of the receivers).

Lineage information for: dataset

Processing Steps

Parameter or Variable: Acoustic Tag ID (measured); Units: Text; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Innovasea/Vemco acoustic VR2 receiver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Acoustic tags implanted in study animals transmit a coded series of pings every 30-60 seconds underwater. The study’s acoustic receivers have a detection radius of 50-200 meters depending on receiver location. If the acoustic tag pings within range, the acoustic receiver can decipher the transmission and identify and log the unique ID associated with the tag and animal. The receiver can be manually downloaded to retrieve this data record
Parameter or Variable: Tag detection timestamp (MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm:ss) (measured); Units: time and date (MM/DD/YYYY hh:mm) in UTC format; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: Innovasea/Vemco acoustic VR2 receiver; Sampling and Analyzing Method: When an acoustic receiver receives an acoustic tag transmission within range and successfully identifies and records the tag ID number (see above parameter), it also records a timestamp of when that tag was detected.
Parameter or Variable: Acoustic receiver’s latitude and longitude positional coordinates (calculated); Units: Decimal Degrees (DD.DDDDD); Observation Category: laboratory analysis; Sampling Instrument: Handheld GPS; Sampling and Analyzing Method: When an acoustic receiver is deployed at an array station location, GPS coordinates are recorded in the field. These positional coordinates are later assigned during preliminary data download and analysis to every acoustic tag detection logged by the receiver at that station. While the precise location of a tagged animal is not known, the known location of the receiver detecting that animal gives a rough approximation of the animal’s location within 50 - 200 meters (the detection range of the receivers).

Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument	acoustic sensor

Last Modified: 2025-05-16T15:33:19Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov

NCCOS Assessment: MPA Boundary Efficacy and Biotic Movements in Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve: Tagging and Tracking Fish with Acoustic Telemetry in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, 2017-04-18 to 2019-06-24 (NCEI Accession 0280248)

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