American Samoa Benthic Terrain ViewerEmily M. Larkin and Dawn WrightDept. of Geosciences, Oregon State UniversitySeptember, 2004

The American Samoa Benthic Terrain ViewerWeb-based GIS to allow more access to marine data from American SamoaWhat is a Web-Based GIS?A website that allows users to view geographic data without GIS software.The ONLY Samoan-language web-based GIS in existence.

Why use a Web GIS?Natural medium for data distribution and display. User needs only a web browser to access data.Allows multiple levels of users to be served by the same site.General users can access information, perform queries, analyses, and make maps.Advanced users can download data and metadata through the FBNMS GIS Data Archive and search for more detailed information.

ASBTV ContentBathymetry (seafloor) layers obtained from multibeam sonar surveys in 2001 and 2002 (Wright et al. 2002; Wright 2002).Benthic zone and structure layers derived from bathymetry.Terrestrial layersroads, island DEMs, villages.Supporting help and information pages with links to find more information. Link to American Samoa Coastal and Marine Bibliographic Database

Benthic Zones & StructuresThe seafloor can be classified into broad categories called benthic zones and more detailed categories called benthic structuresBenthic = related to the seafloor (e.g. a benthic animal is one that lives on the ocean floor)4 categories of zones: flats, slopes, crests, and depressions13 categories of structures

Fagaitua Bay Benthic ZonesBenthic Zones from ArcMapBenthic Zones from the ASBTV

Zones/Structures and BiodiversityBenthic zones and structures cannot be tied to specific habitat types or species at this time.Karlson et al. (2004) found a link between benthic zone and biodiversity in Indo-Pacific coral reefs.In general, sloped areas had higher biodiversity than flat areas. Their samples included American Samoa

Initial Display of the ASBTV

Samoan-Language AccessGreater accessibility for those who may be more comfortable in Samoan than in EnglishSame content as ASBTVO le Alititai o Amerika Samoa = The Seafloor of American SamoaChallengesNot all scientific terms translate well into Samoan (e.g. benthic structure)ArcIMS does not like diacritical markse.g. Sue (search) appears in the Mode frame as Sue (a type of pufferfish)

O le Alititai o Amerika Samoa

What Still Needs Done?Error-checking the Samoan grammarAddition of final benthic zones for Vatia Bay

American Samoa Coastal & Marine Bibliographic DatabaseA searchable bibliographic database listing references related to American SamoaGoes back to mid-1800sSearchable by keyword, author or area

ASBTV Site LinksEnglishhttp://scallywag.science.oregonstate.edu/website/AmSamoa/viewer.htmSamoan http://scallywag.science.oregonstate.edu/website/Faasamoa/viewer.htm

American Samoa Coastal & Marine Bibliographic Databasehttp://astrolabe.csc.noaa.gov/American_Samoa/search.asp

More information or questions: larkine@science.oregonstate.edu