Dataset Card for NOAA-ESD-CORAL-Bleaching Classification Dataset v1

Overview

For the development of machine learning models to classify coral health, specifically identifying healthy hard coral (CORAL) and bleached hard coral (CORAL_BL).This dataset contains underwater imagery collected by NOAA's Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) and other benthic surveys.

Labels

Label	Name	Functional Group
CORAL	Healthy Hard Coral	Hard Coral
CORAL_BL	Bleached Hard Coral	Hard Coral

Dataset Details

Images were annotated through a combination of randomly generated points and targeted survey locations.

Dataset Structure

The dataset consists of 224x224 pixel image patches, pre-split into train, validation, and test sets. Patches are sampled across 2 rows x 5 columns stratified grids for consistent annotation coverage.

Split	Images	Description
Training	7,292	Used for model training.
Validation	1,562	Used for model hyperparameter tuning and early stopping.
Test	1,565	Used for final model evaluation.

Dataset Sources

Data Repository: NOAA Open Data Dissemination (NODD) PIFSC Cloud
Imagery Collection Years: 2014–2019
Region: Hawaiian Archipelago

Uses

Direct Use Cases

Coral bleaching detection in marine ecosystems.
Marine biology research and reef health assessments.
Training machine learning models for underwater imagery analysis.

Out-of-Scope Uses

Applications unrelated to benthic or coral reef ecosystems.
Real-time monitoring without adequate validation or ground truth verification.

Bias, Risks, and Limitations

Bias

Geographic Bias: Data is primarily from the Hawaiian Archipelago; performance may differ in other regions.
Environmental Bias: Imagery collected under certain lighting and seasonal conditions.

Recommendations for Use

Validate models on new survey data before operational use.
Augment datasets with color variations, rotations, and noise to improve robustness.
Account for potential false positives, especially in complex benthic environments.

Limitations

Models may underperform on color images if trained solely on the provided dataset.
Bleaching classification may be affected by turbid water conditions and image quality variations.

Personal and Sensitive Information

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

Metadata / Citation

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

Related Metadata:

Dataset Card Contact

For questions or inquiries, contact:
Michael Akridge – [email protected]
Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD), PIFSC | NOAA

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.

Datasets:

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NOAA-ESD-CORAL-Bleaching-Dataset