89a2cd92-b5e0-44da-862b-968e12e1036f https://www1.usgs.gov/obis-usa/ipt/resource?r=ncrmp_blt_fish_pacific Ivor Williams National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Research Fish Biologist ivor.williams@noaa.gov Annette DesRochers National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Data Steward annette.desrochers@noaa.gov Abby Benson U.S. Geological Survey Biologist albenson@usgs.gov 0000-0002-4391-107X publisher Sarah Bingo Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System Data Manager sarahr6@hawaii.edu processor 2023-01-27 eng Belt transects (BLT) are a non-invasive underwater-survey method that enumerates the diverse components of diurnally active shallow-water reef fish assemblages. At each Rapid Ecological Assessment survey site, BLT fish surveys are conducted along 3 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines to quantify relatively small-bodied and abundant fishes. A pair of scuba diver-observers conducts parallel swims along the transect lines, recording size-class specific counts of all fishes encountered, to species-level where possible, within visually estimated but defined belt widths: 4 m wide for fishes > 20 cm TL (100 m2 area) on the initial swim-out, and 2 m wide for fishes < 20 cm TL (50 m2 area) on the subsequent swim back. Transect lines are typically set at depths of 10-15 m. Reef ledges and holes are visually searched. Stations are completed on all sides of the island/atoll, weather and sea conditions permitting. Raw survey data includes species level abundance estimates. Samplingevent GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type.xml Samplingevent GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml marine, harvested by OBIS These data were named with "NCRMP" in the OBIS shortname, when it is actually pre-NCRMP data. The creators of the data, PIFSC, wanted to make that correction, but after the data are submitted the shortname cannot change. The BLT transects were conducted under CRED using older methods before NCRMP was fully formed. To the extent possible under law, the publisher has waived all rights to these data and has dedicated them to the Public Domain (CC0 1.0). Users may copy, modify, distribute and use the work, including for commercial purposes, without restriction. https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/5e850e1ee4b01d50927ca6bc notPlanned Tye Kindinger National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Supervisory Coral Reef Ecosystems Researcher tye.kindinger@noaa.gov Jake Asher National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Ecosystems Research Specialist jacob.asher@noaa.gov 2020-04-01T09:19:01.915+00:00 dataset Coral Reef Ecosystem Program; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2017). Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program: Rapid Ecological Assessments of Fish Belt Transect Surveys (BLT) in the Pacific Ocean from 2000-09-09 to 2009-05-05 (NCEI Accession 0162462). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://accession.nodc.noaa.gov/0162462 89a2cd92-b5e0-44da-862b-968e12e1036f/v1.4.xml