Dryad
Published November 16, 2018 | Version v1
Dataset Open

Data from: Combining fish and benthic communities into multiple regimes reveals complex reef dynamics

Creators

  • 1. University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • 2. National Geographic Society
  • 3. Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
  • 4. Stockholm Resilience Centre
  • 5. Bangor University
  • 6. Stanford University
  • 7. Lancaster University
  • 8. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • 9. University of California, Santa Barbara
  • 10. Environmental Defense Fund
  • 11. Conservation International
  • 12. California State Polytechnic University

Description

Coral reefs worldwide face an uncertain future with many reefs reported to transition from being dominated by corals to macroalgae. However, given the complexity and diversity of the ecosystem, research on how regimes vary spatially and temporally is needed. Reef regimes are most often characterised by their benthic components; however, complex dynamics are associated with losses and gains in both fish and benthic assemblages. To capture this complexity, we synthesised 3,345 surveys from Hawai'i to define reef regimes in terms of both fish and benthic assemblages. Model-based clustering revealed five distinct regimes that varied ecologically, and were spatially heterogeneous by island, depth and exposure. We identified a regime characteristic of a degraded state with low coral cover and fish biomass, one that had low coral but high fish biomass, as well as three other regimes that varied significantly in their ecology but were previously considered a single coral dominated regime. Analyses of time series data reflected complex system dynamics, with multiple transitions among regimes that were a function of both local and global stressors. Coupling fish and benthic communities into reef regimes to capture complex dynamics holds promise for monitoring reef change and guiding ecosystem-based management of coral reefs.

Notes

Hawaii_regimes
Hawaii_regimes.csv is a comma-separated file containing data used to define reef regimes for the Hawaii Islands. The file includes metadata for 1027 replicates, 10 reef community metrics used to define regimes in a cluster analysis, and the resulting reef regime. Reef community metrics are averages of individual replicates grouped based on spatial proximity. Details of the analysis can be found in the accompanying publication. Parties interested in using this data for other purposes are asked to contact Mary Donovan (donovan.maryk@gmail.com).
Hawaii_regime_timeseries_
Hawaii_regime_timeseries.csv is a comma-separated file containing data used to investigate changes in regimes over time. The file includes metadata for 1279 replicates across multiple years, 10 reef community metrics used to define regimes in a cluster analysis, and the geographic location of the replicate. Details of the analysis can be found in the accompanying publication. Parties interested in using this data for other purposes are asked to contact Mary Donovan (donovan.maryk@gmail.com).
Hawaii_regime_drivers
Hawaii_regime_drivers.csv is a comma-separated file containing data used to understand relationships between regime transitions and local and global drivers. The file includes data on human population density and degree heating weeks for each replicate found in Hawaii_regime_timeseries.csv. Details of the analysis can be found in the accompanying publication. Parties interested in using this data for other purposes are asked to contact Mary Donovan (donovan.maryk@gmail.com).

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Hawaii_regime_drivers.csv

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Additional details

Related works

Is cited by
10.1038/s41598-018-35057-4 (DOI)