Dataset: Octocoral Recruitment

Name: Octocoral Recruitment surveys on transects at 6 sites on the south shore of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands in 2021 and 2022
Published: 2023-04-18
Keywords: Octocorals, Recruitment, biota, oceans

View Data: Data not available yet

Cite This Dataset

Spatial Extent: N:18.73 E:-64.71 S:18.303 W:-64.73

Temporal Extent: 2021-07-04 - 2022-08-20

Project:

Collaborative Research: Pattern and process in the abundance and recruitment of Caribbean octocorals (Octocoral Community Dynamics)

Principal Investigator:

Howard Lasker (State University of New York at Buffalo, SUNY Buffalo)

Co-Principal Investigator:

Peter J. Edmunds (California State University Northridge, CSUN)

Contact:

Howard Lasker (State University of New York at Buffalo, SUNY Buffalo)

BCO-DMO Data Manager:

Taylor Heyl (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI BCO-DMO)

Version:

Version Date:

2023-04-18

Restricted:

Yes

Release Date:

2024-01-01

Validated:

Current State:

Data not available

Octocoral Recruitment surveys on transects at 6 sites on the south shore of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands in 2021 and 2022

Abstract:

This dataset represents octocoral recruitment censuses conducted on survey transects at 6 sites Booby Rock (18° 18.176' N; 064° 42.626' W), Grootpan Bay (previously noted as E Cabritte or East Cabritte 18° 18.551 ' N: 0.64° 43.129' W), Europa (18° 19.003' N; 064° 43.796' W), Tektite (18° 18.775' N; 064° 43.796' W), Deep Tektite: (18° 18.582’ N, 064° 43.371 W), Yawzi (18° 18.912’ N, 064° 43.500’ W) on the south shore of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands between 2021 and 2022.

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Methods & Sampling

Recruit censuses were conducted in 2021 and 2021. Recruits (1 polyp - 5 centimeters tall) were enumerated, and when possible were identified to genus level in separate 0.25 square meter quadrats randomly placed (n = 8) along 6 transects at each of 3 sites (48 quadrats per site). Transects were positioned in a marked 50-meter x 10-meter area, with stainless steel eye bolts marking each corner, and each of the 6 transects. Transects were 10 meters long across the area.

Transect positions by site:
- Europa, Grootpan, and Tektite: transects were positioned in a marked 50 x 10 meter area, with stainless steel eye bolts marking each corner, and each of the 6 transects. Transects were 10 meters long across the area. So there were 0 meters; 10 meters; 20 meters; 30 meters; 40 meters; 50 meters.
- Booby Rock: Surveys at Booby Rock were added in 2022. Transects were positioned at random points along a 100-meter line run parallel to the shore. Transects ran downslope for 10 meters from the point on the 100-meter line.
- Deep Tektite, Yawzi: Three 10-meter transects positioned 10 meters apart along the reef edge and running perpendicular to the reef edge. 0.25 square meter quadrats were randomly placed (n = 16) along 3 transects at each site (48 quadrats per site).

Known Issues:
Eunicea spp. recruits that could not be identified to species were grouped into three groups based on the size of calyces:
Eunicea sp g1 – large polyps -Eunicea calyculata/clavigera/tournefortii/laciniata
Eunicea sp g2 – intermediate size with tubular calyces - Eunicea succinea/mammosa/laxispica
Eunicea sp g3 – small polyps - Eunicea asperula/flexuosa/knighti/palmeri/pinta/pallida

Notes:
- Octocoral recruits are defined as individuals greater than 5 centimeters in height.
- 8 quadrats were surveyed by transect but a few transects present differences in the number of quadrats surveyed.
- 0.1 centimeter or greater than 0.1 centimeter recruits are those with 1, 2, or 3 polyps and therefore not measurable.
- In the comments column: "No recruits present " indicates those quadrats surveyed without recruits.

Data Processing Description

BCO-DMO Processing description:
- Adjusted field/parameter names to comply with BCO-DMO naming conventions
- Missing data identifier ‘na’ replaced with blank (BCO-DMO's default missing data identifier)
- Added columns "Latitude" and "Longitude" based on site locations
- Rounded columns "Latitude" and "Longitude" to 3 decimal places
- Merged 2021 data and 2022 data into one dataset

More Information about this dataset

Funding Sources

Funding Source	Award Number
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences	OCE-1756381

Deployments

None available yet

Instruments

Measuring Tape

Supplied Name: Transect tape

Supplied Description:

Instrument Type

Generic Name: Measuring Tape

Generic Description:

A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible ruler. It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fibre glass, or metal strip with linear-measurement markings. It is a common tool for measuring distance or length.

Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

Supplied Name:

Supplied Description:

Instrument Type

Generic Name: Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

Acronym: SCUBA

Generic Description:

The self-contained underwater breathing apparatus or scuba diving system is the result of technological developments and innovations that began almost 300 years ago. Scuba diving is the most extensively used system for breathing underwater by recreational divers throughout the world and in various forms is also widely used to perform underwater work for military, scientific, and commercial purposes.

Reference: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/technical/technical.html

Parameters

Date and time formats are described in python strftime() syntax.

Supplied Name	Supplied description	Supplied Units	Standard Name
Census_Year	Year the data were collected	unitless	year
Date	Date the survey was conducted Format: %Y-%m-%d	unitless	date
Latitude	Latitude of the survey site	decimal degrees	lat
Longitude	Longitude of the survey site (West is negative)	decimal degrees	lon
Site	Name of sampling site	unitless	site
Transect_Position	Position of transects in a marked 50 x 10 meter area (see acquisition description for details)	unitless	transect
Side_of_transect	Side of the transect tape (Left or Right), orientation looking towards open ocean, with the shore in the back.	unitless	transect
Meter_on_transect	From 0 meters to 9.5 meters. Quadrat of 50 x 50 centimeter positioned randomly along a 10 meter transect. Each number indicates the meter at which the inferior side of the quadrat was positioned.	meters	len_track
Taxon	Genus and species of the colony or in the case of species that cannot be differentiated in the field the name of species group	unitless	species
Genus	Genus of the coral colony	unitless	genus
Height	Height to nearest 0.1 cm, measured from the base of the recruit to the top of the living tissue. Measurement of 0.1 centimeters or greater than 0.1 centimeters are recruits with 1, 2 or 3 polyps, which were not measurable.	centimeters (cm)	height
Comments	Bitten tip of the recruit shows evidence of the tip having been bitten off, "Skel above" or "additional xx cm above stripped" refers to the presence of bare axis at the tip of the recruit. The bare axis was not included in the height measurement.	unitless	comment

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Dataset: Octocoral Recruitment