NMFS-OSI/noaa-pacific-benthic-cover-t1-all

Dataset Card for NOAA Pacific Benthic Image Classification Dataset T1 (All Annotations, Unsplit)

Dataset Details

Dataset Description

This dataset contains benthic reef image crops for Tier-1 coral reef classification, built from CoralNet-derived annotations associated with NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) monitoring programs.

Images are 224×224 crops associated with one label per crop. This all-annotations version is unsplit and includes all available T1 records found under the source path.

This is intentionally different from the curated split dataset:

• Curated split dataset (training-ready): https://huggingface.co/datasets/NMFS-OSI/noaa-pacific-benthic-cover-t1
  • This dataset (all records, unsplit): recommended for exploration, custom splitting, and QA workflows.
• License: Public Domain (NOAA Open Data)
• Shared by: NOAA Open Data
• Curated by: Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) | Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC)
• Image Size: 224 x 224 pixels (patch-based)

Dataset Sources

• Cloud Repository: Public Google Cloud Storage source bucket path: gs://nmfs_odp_pifsc/PIFSC/ESD/ARP/pifsc-ai-data-repository/coralnet_mirror/pacific_t1

Dataset Structure

This dataset is provided as a single unsplit partition:

• train (all): 790,352

Total: 790,352 image crops.

Features (Parquet/HF metadata)

• image_url: HTTPS object URL in public GCS
• gcs_uri: canonical gs:// URI
• label: integer class index
• label_name: class short code
• label_desc: class description
• file_name: image file basename
• split: fixed to all

Classes

• 0 = CCA (Coralline Alga)
• 1 = CORAL (Coral)
• 2 = I (Sessile Invertebrate)
• 3 = MA (Macroalga)
• 4 = MF (Mobile Fauna)
• 5 = SC (Soft Coral)
• 6 = SED (Sediment)
• 7 = TURF (Turf Alga)
• 8 = UC (Unclassified / Unknown)
• 9 = TW (Tape / Wand)

Class Distribution (All Annotations)

Class	Images
CCA	95,241
CORAL	153,139
I	5,181
MA	120,174
MF	1,133
SC	5,085
SED	45,871
TURF	337,415
TW	1,077
UC	26,036
Total	790,352

Uses

Direct Use

Suitable uses:

• Building custom train/validation/test splits
• Dataset QA and annotation auditing
• Training/evaluating broad benthic cover classifiers (Tier-1)
• Transfer learning for coral-reef benthic imagery
• Benchmarking class-imbalance handling methods
• Building marine habitat monitoring model baselines

Out-of-Scope Use

• Species-level ecological inference (dataset is Tier-1 broad classes)
• Regulatory or policy decisions without domain expert review
• Habitat trend inference without survey design/statistical context
• Identification or any application not related to benthic habitats

Dataset Creation

Curation Rationale

Goal: provide a reusable pacific wide complete Tier-1 annotation inventory aligned with NCRMP/PIFSC benthic image workflows, enabling downstream users to apply custom filtering/splitting policies.

Source Data(See Below)

Source records and context are drawn from NOAA InPort metadata for:

• Stratified Random Survey (StRS) benthic images and annotated benthic cover products
• Climate-station/fixed site benthic images and annotated benthic cover products

Data Collection and Processing

High-level workflow:

1. Photoquadrat surveys collected by divers under NCRMP methods.
2. Benthic images annotated using CPCe (historically) and CoralNet (more recent periods).
3. Tier mappings applied to convert detailed labels to Tier-1 classes.
4. Crops generated and assembled into unsplit storage paths.
5. Metadata manifests generated for HF streaming and analysis.

Who are the source data producers?

Primary producers are NOAA PIFSC ESD teams and collaborators conducting NCRMP field missions and annotation operations in U.S. Pacific Islands regions.

Annotations

Annotation process

Annotation points were produced from benthic image analysis pipelines described in NOAA metadata. Human analysts assign benthic category labels at points, then labels are mapped into Tier levels. This dataset uses Tier-1 group labels.

Who are the annotators?

Trained NOAA/PIFSC-associated analysts and partner contributors using program SOPs and calibration/quality-control procedures described in NCRMP metadata.

Bias, Risks, and Limitations

• Geographic Bias: Data is primarily from the Pacific Region; performance may differ in other regions.
• Environmental Bias: Imagery collected under certain lighting and seasonal conditions.
• Temporal variability and differences in camera conditions across years/missions
• Label uncertainty from difficult imagery and functional-group ambiguity
• Not intended for species-level precision
• Significant class imbalance (including artifact classes UC/TW)
• This dataset is unsplit; users must prevent leakage when creating train/val/test sets

Recommendations

• Use class-balanced sampling or loss weighting
• Create site-aware splits where possible
• Keep train/val/test separation strict to reduce leakage risk
• Validate externally on independent sites/years before deployment
• Consult expert guidance for ecological interpretation

Personal and Sensitive Information

• No personal, sensitive, or identifiable information is present.
• Images are of marine environments only.

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Glossary

• NCRMP: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program
• PIFSC ESD: Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division
• StRS: Stratified Random Survey
• Tier-1: Broad benthic functional classes

Metadata / Citation

Citation:
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2025). Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD);

Related Metadata:

• Benthic cover from StRS annotations
• Benthic cover from climate-station annotations
• Benthic images from StRS Sites
• Benthic images from Fixed climate stations

Dataset Card Contact

For questions or inquiries, contact:
Michael Akridge – Michael.Akridge@noaa.gov

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Related Dataset

• Curated split T1 dataset (8-class, train/validation/test): https://huggingface.co/datasets/NMFS-OSI/noaa-pacific-benthic-cover-t1

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Disclaimer

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