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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Benthic Imagery from the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA) collected in 2024 (NCEI Accession 0307662)

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Photoquadrat benthic images were collected within the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA) in West Maui by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD; formerly the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division) for quantifying benthic composition.

This dataset is only the imagery from 2024 missions in March and October; the benthic cover data produced is part of a separate accession that can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0307662.

Photo-transects were taken at each site, with 25 photographs taken at 1m intervals. Benthic habitat imagery were quantitatively analyzed for each site using a web-based annotation tool called CoralNet where 15 points were analyzed per photograph. The images provided here can be linked to the benthic composition data produced by site name; the accompanying metadata file provided describes the sites analyzed.
  • Cite as: Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2025). Benthic Imagery from the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA) collected in 2024 (NCEI Accession 0307662). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0307662. In Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2022). Benthic Imagery from the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/PIFSC-Benthic-Images-Kahekili. 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 2024-03-11 to 2024-10-18
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -156.6983
East: -156.6867
South: 20.9263
North: 20.9542
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
  • Benthic Imagery from the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA)
  • Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 2025: Benthic Imagery from the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA) since 2021
  • Kindinger, Tye; McCoy, Kaylyn; PIFSC Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (2017). Fish, Benthic and Urchin Survey Data from Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA), Maui, Hawaii since 2008 (NCEI Accession 0165015). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0165015.
    • Parent ID (indicates this dataset is related to other data):
    • gov.noaa.nodc:PIFSC-Benthic-Images-Kahekili
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2025-09-13
  • creation: 2025-09-04
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 In 2009, the state of Hawaii established the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA) in West Maui. Fishing for herbivores (parrotfishes, surgeonfishes, chub, sea urchins) is prohibited within the KHFMA, as the goal is to use this form of marine management to prevent and possibly reverse shifts from coral to macroalgal domination, possibly evident on reefs at the KHFMA in recent years. The data described herein are part of an ongoing monitoring program assessing changes in fish and benthic assemblages following creation of the KHFMA. The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) has provided support for ESD staff to assist Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (HDAR) staff with maintaining long-term biological monitoring of the KHFMA, using methods implemented in pre-closure baseline surveys in 2008 by HDAR and their partners at that time.
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: Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2025). Benthic Imagery from the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA) collected in 2024 (NCEI Accession 0307662). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0307662. In Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2022). Benthic Imagery from the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/PIFSC-Benthic-Images-Kahekili. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
Principal Investigators
Contributors
Resource Providers
Points of Contact
Publishers
Acknowledgments
  • Funding Agency: Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
  • Visual Images > Habitats
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Benthic Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Reef Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > Benthos Analysis > Transect Monitoring
  • 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 > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > Rapid assessment studies
  • 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 > Marine Biology > Coral
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Marine Biology > Coral Communities
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Contributing Organizations
  • CREP
  • Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
  • ESD
  • Ecosystem Sciences Division
  • HDAR
  • Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources
  • PIFSC
  • Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Platform keywords Provider Platform Names
  • DAR 18' Whaler
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 > United States of America > Hawaii > Maui > Maui Island (20N156W0004)
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaiian Islands (21N157W0027)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands (21N157W0027)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Maui Island > Maui Island (20N156W0004)
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords Provider Place Names
  • Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, Maui
Project keywords NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS CRCP Project
  • 31340
  • Maximizing information about reef resilience inferred from monitoring efforts to inform management and restoration activities
Provider Project Names
  • Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP)
  • Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (HDAR)
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Keywords Send2NCEI Submission Package ID
  • WE56DM
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2025). Benthic Imagery from the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA) collected in 2024 (NCEI Accession 0307662). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0307662. In Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2022). Benthic Imagery from the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (HFMA). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/PIFSC-Benthic-Images-Kahekili. Accessed [date].
Data License
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
  • 2025-09-13T03:35:55Z - NCEI Accession 0307662 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • Parameter or Variable: PHOTOQUADRAT IMAGES (Measured) (measured); Units: unitless; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: camera; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Photo-transects were performed at sites, where 25 photographs were taken at 1m intervals. Images were renamed to incorporate site name in order to link to benthic cover dataset accessible on a different NCEI accession. Images are all in a single folder and have site information described in file name following the convention 'KA-[ROUND]-[ARBITRARY_SITE_NAME]_[GENERIC_IMAGE_NAME]', e.g. KA2111_084_IMG_01.JPG.; Data Quality Method: The photos are reviewed by the diver for accuracy and usability. To ensure consistency, images were color corrected using Adobe Lightroom if it appeared that the camera they were taken from was not properly white balanced in the field. Typically, 25 photographs are collected per site; however, there may be instances in which camera issues, survey conditions, or image quality results in fewer than the standard 25 photos per site.
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • camera
Last Modified: 2026-06-01T18:13:28Z
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