Introduction

This CD-ROM provides a benthic habitat classification manual and geospatial data of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for the coastal resource management community.

This Web page provides general operating instructions for viewing the CD-ROM, using and accessing the associated software, data, and maps, and obtaining additional information regarding this project. The information on this CD-ROM is offered in HTML format, so Internet browsing software is necessary for viewing the CD-ROM text (see Software Installation and Requirements below for details).

How to Order

CD's are available at no cost. Once order requests are received, CD's will be packaged and distributed in 1-2 weeks. Thank you for your interest in the Biogeography Branch's benthic mapping activities.

You can order a copy of the CD-ROM by filling out this form.

Software Installation and Requirements

To receive the full benefit of this CD-ROM, a number of different software packages are necessary. The following options are available for using the information on this CD-ROM:

Internet Browsing Software

The information on this CD-ROM is offered in HTML format, so Internet browsing software is necessary for viewing the CD-ROM text.

Many computer operating systems come with Internet browsing software included. There are several locations on the Internet where you can download the most current version of a free browser. Two of those sites are listed here:

Microsoft Internet Explorer Web site located at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp.

Netscape Communicator Web site located at http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp.

To start the CD-ROM:

1. Insert the CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive.


2. Open your browser software and pull down the File Menu in the upper left corner.
   • In Microsoft Internet Explorer, select Open, and use the Browse button to point to your CD-ROM drive. Click on the startup.htm file to select it, click Open, then OK.
     
   • In Netscape Communicator, select Open Page, and use the Choose File button to point to your CD-ROM drive. Click on the startup.htm file to select it, click Open, then OK.

ArcView® GIS

For those users with ESRI GIS software installed on their computers, there are shapefiles included on this CD-ROM. The user may utilize a variety of software to view the imagery mosaics, including ENVI, PCI, ArcGIS or ArcView 3.1® or higher.

Adobe® Acrobat PDF Reader®

The Classification Manual is offered in portable document format (PDF) and is located in Project Methods. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free software that allows you to view, navigate within, and print PDF files across major computing platforms. The PDF document on this CD-ROM is best viewed using Adobe® Acrobat Reader® version 4.0 or higher. A copy of version 5.0, the Microsoft® Windows® compatible software is included on this CD-ROM. For information on installation of this software, go to the Installing Adobe® Acrobat Reader® Software page.

To learn more about Adobe Acrobat Reader or to download the software, visit the Adobe Home Page.

WinZip® Software

To allow us to include a large amount of data on the CD-ROM, many of the data sets have been compressed using WinZip®. This software package is available on the Internet at this site: http://www.winzip.com/

Directory Structure

The CD-ROM has the following directories and files:

htm	All HTML documents and associated files \images - images for the HTML documents \maps - printable maps of benthic habitats manual.pdf - Shallow-Water Benthic Habitats of American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands manual in PDF format
data	All data contained in the following directories: \aap - accuracy assessment points \ext - extension for the classification scheme and sample legends \gps - gps control points and metadata \gvp - ground validation points and metadata \habitats - habitat Shapefiles and metadata \legends - legends for shapefiles \mosaics - IKONOS mosaics (zip format) and metadata \shorelines - shoreline Shapefiles and metadata
pdf	Portable Document Format executable (.exe) and installation instructions
readme.txt	An ASCII (text) file describing the CD-ROM
startup.htm	Start page for the HTML portion of the CD-ROM

Disclaimer

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) produced this data CD-ROM. NCCOS Biogeography Program does not guarantee the accuracy of the geographic features or attributes. Please see the metadata records for each data set for complete information on the source, limitations, and proper use.

Technical Assistance

NOAA National Ocean Service
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Biogeography Program
1305 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (301) 713-3028
Fax: (301) 713-4388