This project assesses the physiological status of selected macroalgae in Hawaii under various nutrient regimes, with the purpose of determining a suitable physiological test that can, with reasonable accuracy, define nutrient concentrations in the adjacent water column. The project is designed to test the utility of pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorescence as a means of assessing physiological status. PAM fluorescence provides an estimate of photosynthetic efficiency and can be measured underwater in the field. This technique may be suitable for resource managers seeking to rapidly assess nutrient concentrations in the marine and aquatic environment. The data were taken from July 2001 - July 2002.

Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 7 sites at Lisianski Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in September and October, 2002 from the NOAA vessel Townsend Cromwell (TC02-07). Raw survey data included genus presence and relative abundance, and voucher specimens. Detailed taxonomic analyses of voucher specimens are presented.

Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 15 sites at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in July and August, 2003 from the NOAA vessel Oscar Elton Sette (OES03-06). Raw survey data included genus presence and relative abundance, and voucher specimens. Detailed taxonomic analyses of voucher specimens are presented.

Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 9 sites at Maro Reef in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in July 2003 from the NOAA vessel Oscar Elton Sette (OES03-06). Raw survey data included genus presence and relative abundance, and voucher specimens. Detailed taxonomic analyses of voucher specimens are presented.

Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 6 sites at Lehua in the Main Hawaiian Islands in July 2005 from the NOAA vessel Hi'ialakai (HI05-05). Raw survey data included genus presence and relative abundance, and voucher specimens. Detailed taxonomic analyses of voucher specimens are presented.

Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 5 sites at Maro Reef in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in September and October, 2002 from the NOAA vessel Townsend Cromwell (TC02-07). Raw survey data included genus presence and relative abundance, and voucher specimens. Detailed taxonomic analyses of voucher specimens are presented.

Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 9 sites at Kure Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in August 2003 from the NOAA vessel Oscar Elton Sette (OES03-06). Raw survey data included genus presence and relative abundance, and voucher specimens. Detailed taxonomic analyses of voucher specimens are presented.

Towed-diver surveys (aka. Towboard surveys) are conducted by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) as part of biennial Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruises. These cruises support NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) long-term goals for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems. 5 towboard surveys (7.9074 km in length), were conducted at Laysan Island in the NW Hawaiian Islands from 13 September - 17 October 2004 as part of RAMP Cruise HI0401. Towboard surveys are a good method for obtaining a general description of large reef areas, assessing the status of low-density populations of large-bodied reef fish, large-scale disturbances (e.g., bleaching), general distribution and abundance patterns of macro-invertebrates (e.g., COT, giant clams), and for assessing trends in these populations and metrics. A pair of scuba divers (1 fish and 1 benthic diver) are towed 60 m behind a small survey launch at a speed of 1-2 knots and a depth of approximately 15m. Each survey is 50 min long, covers about 2 km of habitat, and is divided into ten 5-minute survey segments. The fish diver records, to the lowest possible taxon, all large-bodied reef fishes (>50cmTL) seen within 5m either side and 10m in front of the towboard. Length of each individual is estimated to the nearest cm. The fish towboard is also outfitted with a forward-facing digital video camera to record the survey swath. The benthic diver records percent cover of coral and macroalgae, estimates benthic habitat type and complexity, and censuses a suite of benthic macroinvertebrates including Crown of Thorns sea stars and sea urchins. The benthic towboard is equipped with a downward-facing digital still camera which images the benthos at 15 second intervals. These images are analyzed for percent cover of coral, algae, and other benthic components. Both towboards are equipped with SEABIRD SBE-39 temperature/depth sensors set to record at 5 second intervals. Latitude and longitude of each survey track is recorded at 15 second intervals using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver onboard the tow boat. A layback algorithm is applied to more accurately map the position of the divers with respect to the reef environment. This algorithm calculates the position of the divers based on the position of the tow boat taking into account the length of the tow rope, the depth of the divers, and the curvature of the survey track. This metadata applies to the fish biomass observations.

Twelve quadrats were sampled along 2 consecutively-placed, 25m transect lines as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments conducted at 9 sites at Maui Island and 3 sites at Molokini Islet in the Main Hawaiian Islands in February and July 2005 from the NOAA vessels Oscar Elton Sette (OES05-02) and Hi'ialakai (HI05-05). Raw survey data included genus presence and relative abundance, and voucher specimens. Detailed taxonomic analyses of voucher specimens are presented.

Towed-diver surveys (aka. Towboard surveys) are conducted by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) of the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) as part of biennial Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruises. These cruises support NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) long-term goals for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems. 13 towboard surveys (26.3372 km in length), were conducted at Kure Atoll in the NW Hawaiian Islands from 13 September - 17 October 2004 as part of RAMP Cruise HI0401. Towboard surveys are a good method for obtaining a general description of large reef areas, assessing the status of low-density populations of large-bodied reef fish, large-scale disturbances (e.g., bleaching), general distribution and abundance patterns of macro-invertebrates (e.g., COT, giant clams), and for assessing trends in these populations and metrics. A pair of scuba divers (1 fish and 1 benthic diver) are towed 60 m behind a small survey launch at a speed of 1-2 knots and a depth of approximately 15m. Each survey is 50 min long, covers about 2 km of habitat, and is divided into ten 5-minute survey segments. The fish diver records, to the lowest possible taxon, all large-bodied reef fishes (>50cmTL) seen within 5m either side and 10m in front of the towboard. Length of each individual is estimated to the nearest cm. The fish towboard is also outfitted with a forward-facing digital video camera to record the survey swath. The benthic diver records percent cover of coral and macroalgae, estimates benthic habitat type and complexity, and censuses a suite of benthic macroinvertebrates including Crown of Thorns sea stars and sea urchins. The benthic towboard is equipped with a downward-facing digital still camera which images the benthos at 15 second intervals. These images are analyzed for percent cover of coral, algae, and other benthic components. Both towboards are equipped with SEABIRD SBE-39 temperature/depth sensors set to record at 5 second intervals. Latitude and longitude of each survey track is recorded at 15 second intervals using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver onboard the tow boat. A layback algorithm is applied to more accurately map the position of the divers with respect to the reef environment. This algorithm calculates the position of the divers based on the position of the tow boat taking into account the length of the tow rope, the depth of the divers, and the curvature of the survey track. This metadata applies to the fish biomass observations.