Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Return to search results
💡 Advanced Search Tip

Search by organization or tag to find related datasets

National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Erosion data from bioerosion monitoring units (BMUs) deployed at select coral reef sites in the Pacific Ocean

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: October 04, 2025 | Last Modified: 2025-01-15T00:00:00.000+00:00
The erosion rates provided in this collection were gathered from bioerosion monitoring units (BMUs) retrieved at existing long-term monitoring sites at Wake Island and the Hawaiian and Mariana Archipelagos during NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) led National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) missions. The samples were analyzed at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), as part of NOAA's ongoing NCRMP. BMUs are constructed from clean coral skeletons and left on the reef for a period of 3 years. This collection of data contains the first run of BMUs that has ever been produced, and as such, the protocol established at the time was shortly thereafter amended in order to give a more thorough picture of bioerosion rates. Early analysis procedures utilized a benchtop micro computed tomography scanner (microCT, Bruker) for initial scans (pre-deployment), while post collection analyses (including those in this collection) were analyzed by a larger Computed Tomography device (CT scanner, Siemens). BMUs are CT scanned for changes in density, volume and mass in which rates of bioerosion can be assessed. Annual erosion and accretion rates can be determined from these data in terms of loss of reef structure volume as well as mass in grams of calcium carbonate. Accretion rates given in this collection are determined by finding the volume of non-original carbonate material found on the external surface of the BMUs divided by the number of years the BMU was deployed on the reef. These rates can detect accretion signals when calcifying organisms, such as corals or algae, have grown on their exteriors. Rates of macroboring were determined by changes in the internal volume of the BMUs (e.g., that removed by bore holes) divided by the number of years the BMU was deployed on the reef. Macroboring can occur from eroders such as clionaid sponges, annelids and other macroboring fauna.

Find Related Datasets

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

0173209 0184292 0209106 0236235 0287028 0300480 BIOEROSION CORAL laboratory analysis in situ laboratory analyses physical survey - coral reef NOAA Ship Hi'ialakai NOAA Ship Rainier Coral Reef Ecosystems Program NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) CORAL REEF STUDIES National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) NODC Ocean Acidification Scientific Data Stewardship (OADS) Coastal Waters of Hawaii North Pacific Ocean Philippine Sea oceanography AOML Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory CREP Coral Reef Ecosystem Program PIFSC Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center DOC/NOAA/NMFS > National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce DOC/NOAA/OAR/AOML > Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, OAR, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce 743 National Coral Reef Monitoring Program National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) Numeric Data Sets > Bioerosion EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment > In Situ Physical EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Scleractinia (stony corals) EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Erosion > Bioerosion EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > CORAL REEFS EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > CORAL REEFS Porites lobata Amira analysis software BMU BMU - Bioerosion Monitoring Unit CT Scan machine bioerosion monitoring unit Ships Hi'ialakai (call sign: WTEY, ICES code: 33HL, 2004-) RAINIER (call sign: WTEF, ICES code: 315R, 1968-) Contractor Small Boat UVI Small Boats COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Maug > Maug Island (20N145E0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Northern Mariana Islands > Northern Mariana Islands ( CNMI ) (18N146E0000) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Pagan > Pagan Island (18N145E0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > Northern Mariana Islands > Saipan > Saipan Island (15N145E0002) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Ofu Island > Ofu (14S169W0002) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Olosega Island > Olosega (14S169W0016) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > American Samoa > Ta'u Island > Ta'u (14S169W0015) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Hawaii > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > French Frigate Shoals (24N166W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Oahu (21N157W0003) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Pearl and Hermes Reef (27N176W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > St. John > St. John (18N064W0011) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > U. S. Virgin Islands > St. Thomas > St. Thomas (18N064W0033) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Jarvis Island (00S160W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001) COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > USA Minor Outlying Islands > Wake Atoll (19N167E0001) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Leeward Islands > St. Thomas (18N064W0033) OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea > Virgin Islands > Virgin Islands > St. John (18N064W0011) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > American Samoa (14S170W0000) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > American Samoa > Tutuila Island (14S170W0016) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Hawaii Island > Hawaii Island (19N155W0003) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Hawaiian Islands > Oahu Island > Oahu (21N157W0003) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Jarvis Island (00S160W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Line Islands > Palmyra Atoll (05N162W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands > French Frigate Shoals (24N166W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands > Pearl and Hermes Reef (27N176W0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Wake Atoll > Wake Atoll (19N167E0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ofu (14S169W0002) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Olosega (14S169W0016) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Manu'a Group > Ta'u (14S169W0015) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Guam > Guam (13N144E0000) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Mariana Archipelago > Northern Mariana Islands ( CNMI ) (18N146E0000) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Maug Island > Maug Island (20N145E0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Pagan Island > Pagan Island (18N145E0001) OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Western Pacific Ocean > Saipan Island > Saipan Island (15N145E0002) OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN 0L4NUD 3CKYKB J5PLLD JRDHMX U9GDHR Y9WHRH

Complete Metadata

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov