Branching corals, like many in the genus Acropora, provide structurally complex habitats for reef fishes and other organisms. Fluctuations in the abundance, distribution and characteristics of staghorn Acroporid corals may contribute to changes in the abundance and species composition of reef fishes due to changes in the availability of shelter habitat and food. Farming damselfishes of the genus Stegastes occur in high abundances in staghorn thickets and actively defend food and nest space against organisms that threaten these resources.

These data describe the abundance of Acanthaster planci, Crown of Thorns Sea stars, surveyed as part of MCR LTER's annual reef fish monitoring program. This study began in 2005 and the dataset is updated annually. The abundances of A. planci observed on a five-by-fifty meter transect are recorded by a diver using SCUBA. Surveys are conducted between 0900 and 1600 hours (Moorea time) during late July or early August each year.

These data consist of sample collection locations and conditions only, not the results of sequencing. These data were an initial collection of an expected time series which was not repeated. Clade data derived from the sample collection described here are archived on GeoSymbio. https://sites.google.com/site/geosymbio/home Coral are symbiotic with photosynthetic dinoflagellates from the genus Symbiodinium. There are eight divergent clades (A-H) within the genus which each contain many genetic varieties.

These data describe the genetics of recruiting Dascyllus trimaculatus. We first placed two rows of 8 anemones in a region (the west side of the bay of Opunohu) previously devoid of anemones. Anemones are 10 meters apart, the two rows are 100 meters apart. The row close to the reef crest is called crest , or OUT, row, the row away from the crest and close to the boat channel is called channel, or IN, row. The project started with the placement of the anemones in the fall of 2000. Since then, we regularly clear the anemones of Dascyllus and then collect newly settled fishes every morning.

The data presented here are the abundances of the major invertebrate herbivores and corallivores on Moorea coral reefs. Abundances are estimated in 4 fixed quadrats along 5 permanent transects at each of 4 habitats at 2 sites on each of the 3 shores of Moorea each year. Counts are made in one-meter-squared quadrats.

These data describe the species richness and abundance as part of MCR LTER's reef fish monitoring program to track long-term patterns in species abundance and diversity. This study began in 2000 in the lagoons off of the north shore of the island of Moorea, French Polynesia and the dataset is updated annually. The abundance and life history stage (adults, juveniles or recruits) of all taxa of fishes associated with selected colonies (5-16 colonies per site) of the mound forming coral Porites rus are recorded at seven reef sites located along the north shore of Moorea.

These data describe the species abundance and estimated size distributions (total body length to the greatest precision possible) of fishes surveyed as part of MCR LTER's annual reef fish monitoring program. This study began in 2005 and the dataset is updated annually.