NMFS-OSI/noaa-pacific-benthic-cover-t3-all

Dataset Card for NOAA Pacific Benthic Image Classification Dataset T3 (All Annotations, Unsplit)

Dataset Details

Dataset Description

This dataset contains benthic reef image crops for Tier-3 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 T3 records found under the source path. Tier-3 labels are fine-grained functional and taxonomic classes (e.g., individual coral genera/morphologies, algae types).

This is intentionally different from the curated split dataset:

• Curated split dataset (training-ready): https://huggingface.co/datasets/NMFS-OSI/noaa-pacific-benthic-cover-t3
  • This dataset (all records, unsplit): recommended for exploration, custom splitting, and QA workflows.
• License: Public Domain (NOAA Open Data | Public Access)
• 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_all

Dataset Structure

This dataset is provided as a single unsplit partition:

• all: 790,368

Total: 790,368 image crops across 96 classes.

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

T3 contains 96 classes in this all-annotations build. The top 10 classes by image count are shown below.
See class_list_full.csv for the full class inventory and class_counts_full.csv for per-class counts.

Rank	Class	Count
1	TURFH	318,206
2	CCAH	91,773
3	SAND	45,168
4	PESP	43,227
5	MOEN	28,911
6	POMA	25,908
7	SHAD	23,017
8	EMA	21,930
9	HALI	20,411
10	TURFR	15,409

Uses

Direct Use

Suitable uses:

• Building custom train/validation/test splits from the full annotation pool
• Dataset QA and annotation auditing
• Training/evaluating fine-grained benthic cover classifiers (Tier-3)
• Transfer learning for coral-reef benthic imagery
• Benchmarking class-imbalance handling methods across many classes
• Building marine habitat monitoring model baselines at genus/morphology level

Out-of-Scope Use

• Species-level ecological inference beyond Tier-3 label semantics
• 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-3 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-3 labels retained at the fine-grained functional/taxonomic level.
4. Crops 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 fine-grained benthic category labels at points using Tier-3 label sets. This dataset retains those Tier-3 labels directly.

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 fine-grained taxonomic ambiguity
• Very strong class imbalance across 96 classes (TURFH alone accounts for ~40% of records)
• This dataset is unsplit; users must prevent leakage when creating train/val/test sets

Recommendations

• Use class-balanced sampling or loss weighting given the extreme imbalance
• Create site-aware splits where possible
• Consider hierarchical or Tier-1 auxiliary supervision to handle rare Tier-3 classes
• 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.

---

Glossary

• NCRMP: National Coral Reef Monitoring Program
• PIFSC ESD: Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division
• StRS: Stratified Random Survey
• Tier-3: Fine-grained benthic functional/taxonomic 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

---

Related Datasets

• Broad-class T1 curated split dataset (8 classes, train/validation/test):
  https://huggingface.co/datasets/NMFS-OSI/noaa-pacific-benthic-cover-t1
• Curated split T3 dataset (67 classes, train/validation/test):
  https://huggingface.co/datasets/NMFS-OSI/noaa-pacific-benthic-cover-t3

---

Disclaimer

This repository is a scientific product and is not official communication of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the United States Department of Commerce. All NOAA project content is provided on an 'as is' basis and the user assumes responsibility for its use. Any claims against the Department of Commerce or Department of Commerce bureaus stemming from the use of this project will be governed by all applicable Federal law. Any reference to specific commercial products, processes, or services by service mark, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply their endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce seal and logo, or the seal and logo of a DOC bureau, shall not be used in any manner to imply endorsement of any commercial product or activity by DOC or the United States Government.