National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Assessment of coral reef fish communities in the U.S. Virgin Islands from 2017-06-12 to 2017-08-04 (NCEI Accession 0176080)

The National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) assessed coral reef fish communities in St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) using the stationary point count method (7.5m radius cylinder). This method collects and reports information on species composition, density, size structure, abundance and derived metrics (e.g., species richness, diversity). Data are collected using a 2-stage, stratified random survey design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats less than 30m in depth. All datasets contain data fields on general station information (e.g., survey strata, depth, rugosity). Each of these data tables contain additional survey-specific data fields. For complete information and descriptions of attributes and data fields for all data tables, refer to the data dictionaries. Three datasets are provided under the stationary point count fish protocols and are distributed as one compiled package: (1) Analysis Ready dataset, (2) Boatlog/Station dataset, and (3) raw QAQC’d sample data file. The methodology used for this survey can be found in the point count fish protocols. All three datasets contain data fields on general station information (survey strata, depth, rugosity). Each of these data tables contain additional survey-specific data fields. For complete information and descriptions of attributes and data fields for all data tables, refer to the data dictionaries.