These data describe the abundance, size structure, and morphologies of living and dead corals belonging to the genera Pocillopora and Acropora on the forereef (depth = 10 meters) in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2011. Data were derived from a randomly chosen subset of photo quadrats associated with knb-lter-mcr.4. For each quadrat, individual coral colonies were identified to genus, scored as living or dead, and the total area of their footprint calculated.

These data describe the percent cover of benthic space holders (primarily algae), the biomass of algae and sediment, and the number of corals recruiting on 15 cm X 15 cm terra cota tiles experimentally manipulated on the forereef on the north shore of Moorea. The experiment was established to test whether and how different levels of grazing influence benthic community development. Five treatments were initially established to create a gradient in grazing pressure with a sixth treatment established shortly thereafter. Each treatment was replicated ten times using a randomized block design.

These data describe bite rates of two abundant species of roving herbivorous fishes found on the forereef, Chlorurus sordidus (Scaridae), and Ctenochaetus striatus (Acanthuridae). During several days in July and August 2010, a SCUBA diver followed individual focal fish for a period of up to 5 minutes and recorded the number of bites taken as well the types of substrates bitten. Upon randomly locating a focal individual, divers estimated the total length of that individual as well as their depth at the initiation (and termination) of the observation. Data are organized in two data tables.

These reference data document the maximum length, length to weight conversion parameters, trophic status, and items consumed for fish species observed in the Annual Fish Survey Time-series core data set (knb-lter-mcr.6). With knb-lter-mcr.6, these data enable the investigation of temporal trends in the biomass of taxa as well as the abundance and biomass of different trophic groups. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. OCE 16-37396 (and earlier awards) as well as a generous gift from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

This data package contains a dataset generated using image AI-assisted image segmentation of live and dead corals within ortho-photomosaics of benthic reef habitat on the North shore fore reef of Moorea, French Polynesia. The orthophotomosaics were produced through a rigorous method of underwater photogrammetry that allowed for spatial and temporal co-registration of ortho-photomosaics of the same location over time (for full photogrammetric methods, see Nocerino et al. 2020: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12183036). Using the image segmentation software, TagLab (see Pavoni et al.

These data were generated in support of the manuscript: Srednick G, Davis K, and Edmunds P, Nature To evaluate whether spatial insurance effects are important on coral reefs, we explored variation over 2006–2019 in coral community structure and environmental conditions in Moorea, French Polynesia. We studied coral community structure at a single site with fringing, back reef, and fore reef habitats, and used this system to explore associations among community asynchrony, asynchrony of environmental conditions, and community stability.

These data were generated in support of the manuscript: Adam TC, Holbrook SJ, Burkepile DE, Speare KE, Brooks AJ, Ladd MC, Shantz AA, Thurber RLV, and Schmitt RJ, Ecology The outcomes of species interactions can vary greatly in time and space with the outcomes of some interactions determined by priority effects. On coral reefs, benthic algae rapidly colonize the disturbed substrate. In the absence of top-down control from herbivorous fishes, these algae can inhibit the recruitment of reef-building corals, leading to a persistent phase shift to a macroalgae-dominated state.

Species loss threatens ecosystems worldwide, but the ecological processes and thresholds that underpin positive biodiversity effects among critically important foundation species, such as corals on tropical reefs, remain inadequately understood. In field experiments, we manipulated coral species richness and intraspecific density to test whether, and how, biodiversity affects coral productivity and survival. Corals performed better in mixed species assemblages.