MCR LTER: Coral Reefs: Coral recruitment to 25 m2 plots on the forereef surrounding Moorea, French Polynesia, 2011-2015

These data report the number of Pocilloporid, Acroporid and Poritiid corals recruiting
annually to permanent 5 m X 5 m plots established at a depth of approximately 10 m on the
forereef of Moorea, French Polynesia. Plots were established following an outbreak
(2007-2010) of the corallivorous crown-of-thorns seastars (Acanthaster planci) and the close
passage of Cyclone Oli to Moorea in February, 2010. These two perturbations resulted in a
significant loss of live coral coral from the forereef on an island-wide scale
(crown-of-thorns) and the loss of habitat structural complexity from forereef habitats on
Moorea's north shore (Cyclone Oli). See Adam, T.C. et al. 2011 "Herbivory, connectivity and
ecosystem resilience: response of a coral reef to a large-scale perturbation" PLoS One
e23717 for a more complete description of the system, the nature and magnitudes of the
perturbations and the short-term response by the coral community to the perturbations. Data were obtained by counting all Pocilloporid, Acroporid and Poritiid coral recruits
< 3 cm in colony diameter observed within 25 5 m x 5 m plots established at four sites in
a depth of approximately 10 m on the forereef of Moorea, French Polynesia. Two sites,
Resilience 1 (R1) containing five 5 m x 5 m plots and Resilience 2 (R2) containing ten 5 m x
5 m plots were established along the north shore of the island. Two additional sites,
Resilience 4 (R4) and Resilience 5 (R5), each containing five 5 m x 5 m plots were
established on the southeast and southwest shores of the island, respectively. The locations
of the plots are permanently marked using stainless steel eye-bolts cemented into the reef
matrix so that counts of coral recruits can be made repeatedly within the same plots on an
annual basis. This dataset, knb-lter-mcr.5023, is a subset of a larger dataset, knb-lter-mcr.7008, and
has been produced in support of a manuscript submission. The parent dataset,
knb-lter-mcr.7008, contains additional data on the number of corals recruiting to two
additional sites (Resilience 3 and Resilience 6) established on the forereef surrounding
Moorea, French Polynesia, as well as estimates of the size distribution of Pocilloporid,
Acroporid and Poritiid corals occurring within each plot, the abundances and biomasses of
fishes within each plot, the abundances of several species of macro-invertebrates observed
within each plot, and coarse scale measurements of the depth and surface rugosity within
each plot.

本数据集记录了法属波利尼西亚茉莉雅岛礁前带约10米水深处，永久布设的5m×5m样方内，每年新增的杯形珊瑚科（Pocilloporidae）、轴孔珊瑚科（Acroporidae）及微孔珊瑚科（Poritidae）珊瑚的定植个体数量。本数据集对应的样方布设于2007-2010年食珊瑚长棘海星（Acanthaster planci）暴发以及2010年2月奥利飓风过境茉莉雅岛之后。这两次扰动事件分别导致全岛礁前带活珊瑚资源大幅流失（长棘海星暴发），以及茉莉雅岛北岸礁前生境的结构复杂度受损（奥利飓风过境）。如需了解该研究系统、两次扰动的特征与强度，以及珊瑚群落对扰动的短期响应的完整信息，请参阅Adam TC等2011年发表于《公共科学图书馆·综合》（PLoS One）的论文《植食作用、连通性与生态系统恢复力：珊瑚礁对大规模扰动的响应》（文章编号：e23717）。

本数据集的数据通过计数获得：在法属波利尼西亚茉莉雅岛礁前带约10米水深的4个采样点内，共布设25个5m×5m永久样方，统计其中所有群体直径小于3厘米的杯形珊瑚科、轴孔珊瑚科及微孔珊瑚科珊瑚的定植个体数量。其中北岸布设2个采样点：恢复力1号（R1）包含5个5m×5m样方，恢复力2号（R2）包含10个5m×5m样方。另外2个采样点分别设于岛屿东南岸与西南岸：恢复力4号（R4）与恢复力5号（R5）各包含5个5m×5m样方。所有样方均采用锚固于礁体基质的不锈钢吊环螺栓进行永久标记，以便每年可在同一样方内重复开展珊瑚定植个体计数工作。

本数据集编号为knb-lter-mcr.5023，为更大数据集knb-lter-mcr.7008的子集，其编制目的为支撑一篇学术论文的投稿。父数据集knb-lter-mcr.7008包含更多相关数据：涵盖法属波利尼西亚茉莉雅岛周边礁前带增设的2个采样点（恢复力3号R3与恢复力6号R6）内的珊瑚定植数量；各5m×5m样方内杯形珊瑚科、轴孔珊瑚科及微孔珊瑚科珊瑚的群体尺寸分布估算数据；各样方内鱼类的丰度与生物量数据；各样方内观测到的数种大型无脊椎动物的丰度数据；以及各样方的水深与表面粗糙度的粗尺度测量数据。