Coral health and disease assessments were conducted along 2 consecutively placed 25-m transects, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 14 sites at Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Remote Island Areas during 22 March - 12 April 2008, aboard the NOAA Hi'ialakai Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0803. Within an area of 1-3m on each side of both transect lines, each colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted coral enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. For each affected coral the following information was recorded: colony size, type of affliction, area affected, percent live/dead, and severity of the affliction (mild = 1-10%, moderate = 11-25%, marked = 26-50%, severe = 51-75%, acute = 76-100%). Coral afflictions were classified into one of six general categories (following Willis et al., 2004) including: bleaching, tissue loss, black band disease, skeletal growth anomaly, predation, and other lesions. This latter category included algal overgrowth, as well as unidentified syndromes causing deterioration of scleractinian corals. Tissue samples of selected cases were procured for histopathological analyses. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of disease incidence and prevalence. Samples and photographs provide aid in further disease characterization and description. Histological tissue samples are traditionally fixed in a formaldehyde solution prior to preparation for processing and analysis.

Coral health and disease assessments were conducted along 2 consecutively placed 25-m transects, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 9 sites at Jarvis Island in the Pacific Remote Island Areas during 21 March - 12 April 2008, aboard the NOAA Hi'ialakai Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0803. Within an area of 1-3m on each side of both transect lines, each colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted coral enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. For each affected coral the following information was recorded: colony size, type of affliction, area affected, percent live/dead, and severity of the affliction (mild = 1-10%, moderate = 11-25%, marked = 26-50%, severe = 51-75%, acute = 76-100%). Coral afflictions were classified into one of six general categories (following Willis et al., 2004) including: bleaching, tissue loss, black band disease, skeletal growth anomaly, predation, and other lesions. This latter category included algal overgrowth, as well as unidentified syndromes causing deterioration of scleractinian corals. Tissue samples of selected cases were procured for histopathological analyses. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of disease incidence and prevalence. Samples and photographs provide aid in further disease characterization and description. Histological tissue samples are traditionally fixed in a formaldehyde solution prior to preparation for processing and analysis.

Belt transects along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines were surveyed at 50-cm intervals as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 18 sites at Johnston Atoll in January, 2006 from the NOAA vessel Hi'ialakai (HI06-01). Raw survey data included percent cover of benthic parameters, including live coral, dead coral, carbonate pavement, sand, coral rubble, fleshy macroalgae, crustose coralline algae, and other sessile invertebrates along the two transect lines. In addition, an area of 1-2m on each side of each transect was surveyed; within this area, each coral colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted colony identified to the lowest taxonomic and type of affliction recorded.

Coral health and disease assessments were conducted along 2 consecutively placed 25-m transects, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 8 sites at Swains Atoll in the American Samoa during 22 February - 19 March 2008, aboard the NOAA Hi'ialakai Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0802. Within an area of 1-3m on each side of both transect lines, each colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted coral enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. For each affected coral the following information was recorded: colony size, type of affliction, area affected, percent live/dead, and severity of the affliction (mild = 1-10%, moderate = 11-25%, marked = 26-50%, severe = 51-75%, acute = 76-100%). Coral afflictions were classified into one of six general categories (following Willis et al., 2004) including: bleaching, tissue loss, black band disease, skeletal growth anomaly, predation, and other lesions. This latter category included algal overgrowth, as well as unidentified syndromes causing deterioration of scleractinian corals. Tissue samples of selected cases were procured for histopathological analyses. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of disease incidence and prevalence. Samples and photographs provide aid in further disease characterization and description. Histological tissue samples are traditionally fixed in a formaldehyde solution prior to preparation for processing and analysis.

Coral health and disease assessments were conducted along 2 consecutively placed 25-m transects, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 23 sites at Tutuila Island in the American Samoa during 18 February - 19 March 2008, aboard the NOAA Hi'ialakai Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0802. Within an area of 1-3m on each side of both transect lines, each colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted coral enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. For each affected coral the following information was recorded: colony size, type of affliction, area affected, percent live/dead, and severity of the affliction (mild = 1-10%, moderate = 11-25%, marked = 26-50%, severe = 51-75%, acute = 76-100%). Coral afflictions were classified into one of six general categories (following Willis et al., 2004) including: bleaching, tissue loss, black band disease, skeletal growth anomaly, predation, and other lesions. This latter category included algal overgrowth, as well as unidentified syndromes causing deterioration of scleractinian corals. Tissue samples of selected cases were procured for histopathological analyses. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of disease incidence and prevalence. Samples and photographs provide aid in further disease characterization and description. Histological tissue samples are traditionally fixed in a formaldehyde solution prior to preparation for processing and analysis.

Coral health and disease assessments were conducted along 2 consecutively placed 25-m transects, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 3 sites at Laysan Island in the NW Hawaiian Islands during 1 September - 4 October 2006, aboard the NOAA Hi'ialakai Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0611. Within an area of 1-3m on each side of both transect lines, each colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted coral enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. For each affected coral the following information was recorded: colony size, type of affliction, area affected, percent live/dead, and severity of the affliction (mild = 1-10%, moderate = 11-25%, marked = 26-50%, severe = 51-75%, acute = 76-100%). Coral afflictions were classified into one of six general categories (following Willis et al., 2004) including: bleaching, tissue loss, black band disease, skeletal growth anomaly, predation, and other lesions. This latter category included algal overgrowth, as well as unidentified syndromes causing deterioration of scleractinian corals. Tissue samples of selected cases were procured for histopathological analyses. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of disease incidence and prevalence. Samples and photographs provide aid in further disease characterization and description. Histological tissue samples are traditionally fixed in a formaldehyde solution prior to preparation for processing and analysis.

Coral health and disease assessments were conducted along 2 consecutively placed 25-m transects, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 9 sites at Ta'u Island in the American Samoa during 20 February - 19 March 2008, aboard the NOAA Hi'ialakai Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0802. Within an area of 1-3m on each side of both transect lines, each colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted coral enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. For each affected coral the following information was recorded: colony size, type of affliction, area affected, percent live/dead, and severity of the affliction (mild = 1-10%, moderate = 11-25%, marked = 26-50%, severe = 51-75%, acute = 76-100%). Coral afflictions were classified into one of six general categories (following Willis et al., 2004) including: bleaching, tissue loss, black band disease, skeletal growth anomaly, predation, and other lesions. This latter category included algal overgrowth, as well as unidentified syndromes causing deterioration of scleractinian corals. Tissue samples of selected cases were procured for histopathological analyses. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of disease incidence and prevalence. Samples and photographs provide aid in further disease characterization and description. Histological tissue samples are traditionally fixed in a formaldehyde solution prior to preparation for processing and analysis.

Coral health and disease assessments were conducted along 2 consecutively placed 25-m transects, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 11 sites at Kingman Reef in the Pacific Remote Island Areas during 23 March - 12 April 2008, aboard the NOAA Hi'ialakai Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0803. Within an area of 1-3m on each side of both transect lines, each colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted coral enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. For each affected coral the following information was recorded: colony size, type of affliction, area affected, percent live/dead, and severity of the affliction (mild = 1-10%, moderate = 11-25%, marked = 26-50%, severe = 51-75%, acute = 76-100%). Coral afflictions were classified into one of six general categories (following Willis et al., 2004) including: bleaching, tissue loss, black band disease, skeletal growth anomaly, predation, and other lesions. This latter category included algal overgrowth, as well as unidentified syndromes causing deterioration of scleractinian corals. Tissue samples of selected cases were procured for histopathological analyses. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of disease incidence and prevalence. Samples and photographs provide aid in further disease characterization and description. Histological tissue samples are traditionally fixed in a formaldehyde solution prior to preparation for processing and analysis.

Coral health and disease assessments were conducted along 2 consecutively placed 25-m transects, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 12 sites at Wake Atoll in the Pacific Remote Island Areas during 19 April - 9 May 2007, aboard the NOAA Hi'ialakai Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0701. Within an area of 1-3m on each side of both transect lines, each colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted coral enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. For each affected coral the following information was recorded: colony size, type of affliction, area affected, percent live/dead, and severity of the affliction (mild = 1-10%, moderate = 11-25%, marked = 26-50%, severe = 51-75%, acute = 76-100%). Coral afflictions were classified into one of six general categories (following Willis et al., 2004) including: bleaching, tissue loss, black band disease, skeletal growth anomaly, predation, and other lesions. This latter category included algal overgrowth, as well as unidentified syndromes causing deterioration of scleractinian corals. Tissue samples of selected cases were procured for histopathological analyses. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of disease incidence and prevalence. Samples and photographs provide aid in further disease characterization and description. Histological tissue samples are traditionally fixed in a formaldehyde solution prior to preparation for processing and analysis.

Coral health and disease assessments were conducted along 2 consecutively placed 25-m transects, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 10 sites at French Frigate Shoals in the NW Hawaiian Islands during 1 September - 4 October 2006, aboard the NOAA Hi'ialakai Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HI0611. Within an area of 1-3m on each side of both transect lines, each colony was inspected and every diseased/afflicted coral enumerated and identified to the lowest taxonomic level. For each affected coral the following information was recorded: colony size, type of affliction, area affected, percent live/dead, and severity of the affliction (mild = 1-10%, moderate = 11-25%, marked = 26-50%, severe = 51-75%, acute = 76-100%). Coral afflictions were classified into one of six general categories (following Willis et al., 2004) including: bleaching, tissue loss, black band disease, skeletal growth anomaly, predation, and other lesions. This latter category included algal overgrowth, as well as unidentified syndromes causing deterioration of scleractinian corals. Tissue samples of selected cases were procured for histopathological analyses. These data provide the basis for computing quantitative estimates of disease incidence and prevalence. Samples and photographs provide aid in further disease characterization and description. Histological tissue samples are traditionally fixed in a formaldehyde solution prior to preparation for processing and analysis.