Dataset: Octocoral Forest Composition and Canopy Parameters used in Benthic Community Analysis, St. John U.S. Virgin Islands

Name: Octocoral height, density, and genera from in situ observations within octocoral forests in Lameshur Bay St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands from July 2019 to Jan 2020
Published: 2023-03-21
Keywords: oceans

Cite This Dataset

DOI:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.892265.1

Spatial Extent: N:18.3147 E:-64.7218 S:18.3074 W:-64.7314

Temporal Extent: 2019-07-24 - 2020-01-27

Project:

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

RUI: Pattern and process in four decades of change on Caribbean reefs (St John Coral Reefs)

Principal Investigator:

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

Student:

John Girard (California State University Northridge, CSUN)

BCO-DMO Data Manager:

Amber D. York (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI BCO-DMO)

Version:

Version Date:

2023-03-21

Restricted:

Validated:

Yes

Current State:

Final no updates expected

Octocoral height, density, and genera from in situ observations within octocoral forests in Lameshur Bay St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands from July 2019 to Jan 2020

Abstract:

These data represent the individual octocoral genera, height, and density that compose octocoral forests in in Lameshur Bay St. John U.S. Virgin Islands. These data were used in conjunction with invertebrate abundance data to test for an association between octocoral forest parameters and benthic invertebrate community composition. Surveys of octocoral forests were conducted on SCUBA during July – August of 2019 and in January of 2020 quadrats (1 m2) placed at ≤ 13-m depth. These data were collected as part of an NSF Coral Reef Time Series, Virgin Islands: Long-term coral reef community dynamics in the Virgin Islands National Park and were published in Girard and Edmunds (2023).

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Archival Copy

Version Date	Archive	Persistent Identifier (PID)	Date PID Issued
2023-03-21	Marine Biological Laboratory/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Library (MBLWHOI DLA)	10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.892265.1	2023-05-24

Methods & Sampling

Location: Lameshur Bay St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands at depth ≤ 13 m. Research conducted from the University of the Virgin Islands Marine Station in Lameshure Bay during July – August 2019 and January 2020.

Methods:
Quadrats were randomly placed along 20 m, non-overlapping transects that were positioned haphazardly along fringing reefs. Organisms were identified to genera in situ. Octocorals were counted and measured when their holdfast was present in a quadrat. Octocoral height was measured from the holdfast to most distal branch perpendicular to benthos.

Instruments:

PVC Quadrats (1 m2)
Transect tapes
Measuring ribbons with mm graduations

Data Processing Description

BCO-DMO Data Manager Processing Notes:
* File "St.John_Octocorals from Invertebrate Data.csv" imported as the primary table for this dataset.
* Supplemental files shared with other related datasets also added here (site list).
* Supplemental file added with Taxon identifiers for Octocoral Genera used in this dataset. AphiaID and LSIDs generated using the World Register of Marine Speices taxa match on 2023-01-13.
* lat lon values added into the table by joining with the site list.
* Column names adjusted to conform to BCO-DMO naming conventions designed to support broad re-use by a variety of research tools and scripting languages. [Only numbers, letters, and underscores. Can not start with a number]

Data Files

File
octocorals.csv (Comma Separated Values (.csv), 29.39 KB) MD5:a27056ca1241dc8dfcf3bea366d59956 Primary data table for dataset 892265.

Supplemental Files

File

Site List
filename: site_list.csv

(Comma Separated Values (.csv), 192 bytes)
MD5:4415feb2d663fc251a671a2a7c5cac04

Site list for all dataset related to the results publication Girard and Edmunds (2023). 

Parameters (column names, descriptions, and units): 

Site, Site name used in dataset related to Girard and Edmunds (2023),unitless
lat, Site latitude,decimal degrees
lon,Site longitude,decimal degrees
Alternate_name, Alternate name for the site,unitless

Taxon identifiers for Octocoral Genera
filename: octocoral_genera_taxon_ids.csv

(Comma Separated Values (.csv), 590 bytes)
MD5:ef2f7eee0ea5373bf8ee59924c491fba

Taxon identifiers for Octocoral Genera used in this dataset.  AphiaID and LSIDs generated using the World Register of Marine Speices taxa match on 2023-01-13.

More Information about this dataset

Funding Sources

Funding Source	Award Number
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences	OCE-1756678
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences	OCE-2019992

Deployments

None available yet

Instruments

None available yet

Parameters

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

Supplied Name	Supplied description	Supplied Units	Standard Name
Date	The date samples were collected in ISO 8601 format. Format: %Y-%m-%d	units	date
Site	Site name	units	site
lat	decimal degrees	decimal degrees	lat
lon	decimal degrees	decimal degrees	lon
Transect_Num	Transect number at site	unitless	transect
Quadrat_Num	Quadrat number on transect	unitless	sample_descrip
Quadrat_Depth	meters (m)	meters (m)	depth
Quadrat_ID	Code to quickly identify quadrats. Letter is the first letter of the site and the number reflects the quadrat number at that site	unitless	sample_descrip
Octocoral_Height	Octocoral height	millimeters (mm)	height
Octocoral_Genus	Identification of octocoral (Genus)	unitless	taxon

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Database

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Dataset: Octocoral Forest Composition and Canopy Parameters used in Benthic Community Analysis, St. John U.S. Virgin Islands