For a variety of reasons, NOAA used a different benthic habitat classification scheme for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) compared to other regions across the Pacific. While many classes are similar, they are not categorized as biological cover types, geomorphological structure types, and geographic zones. Instead, a hierarchical scheme was used to flexibly denote substrate category (e.g., unconsolidated and hardbottom), structure (e.g., linear reef or pavement), and cover (e.g., coral, coralline algae, or macroalgae).
A total of 45 detailed benthic habitat classes were identified in the NWHI. For simplification and to more easily distinguish cover types, these are presented in a set of seven aggregated benthic habitat classes. Click on a polygon to get the detailed classification at the clicked location.