| Summary: | Benthic data collection for the National Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Program (NCRMP) consists of two survey types: the Line Point-Intercept (LPI) method and the Coral Demographic method. The LPI method provides a measure of percent cover of biotic and abiotic components of the benthos in a stratified random sampling design in hardbottom and coral reef habitats. LPI surveys are concurrent with and along the same transect as fish surveys. The coral demographics protocol provide more detailed and species-specific insight (‘signal magnitude’) for coral populations than is provided by percent cover. Demographic surveys are conducted at a subset of fish/Line Point-Intercept sample sites, along the same transect as fish surveys. Data provided in this data set were collected around the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) as part of NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)-led missions in collaboration with partners at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southeast Fisheries Science Center, the National Park Service, USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources, University of the Virgin Islands, University of Miami, Nova Southeastern University, The Nature Conservancy, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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