[DEPRECATED] MCR LTER: Coral Reef: Long-term Population Dynamics of Acanthaster planci, ongoing since 2005 (Reformatted to ecocomDP Design Pattern)

This ecocomDP formatted dataset is deprecated due to the fact that the focus of the original L0 dataset is population ecology, not community ecology. This data package is formatted according to the "ecocomDP", a data package design pattern for ecological community surveys, and data from studies of composition and biodiversity. For more information on the ecocomDP project see https://github.com/EDIorg/ecocomDP/tree/master, or contact EDI https://environmentaldatainitiative.org. This Level 1 data package was derived from the Level 0 data package found here: https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?scope=knb-lter-mcr&identifier=1039&revision=9 The abstract below was extracted from the Level 0 data package and is included for context: 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. Four replicate transects are surveyed in each of three habitats (forereef, backreef and fringing reef) at six locations, two on each of Moorea's three sides, on the forereef, six locations on the backreef (two on each of Moorea's three sides for a total of 72 individual transects. Transects are permanently marked using a series of small, stainless steel posts affixed to the reef. Transects on the forereef are located at a depth of approximately 12m, those on the backreef are located at a depth of approximately 1.5m and those on the fringing reef are located at a depth of approximately 10m. This monitoring program is consistent with the protocols adopted by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the Australian Institute of Marine Science for use with the Great Barrier Reef Long-term Monitoring Program. These data from years 2005-2010 were published in: Adam, T.C., R.J. Schmitt, S.J. Holbrook, A.J. Brooks, P.J. Edmunds, R.C. Carpenter and G. Bernardi. 2011. Herbivory, connectivity and ecosystem resilience: response of a coral reef to a large-scale perturbation. PLoS One 6(8): e23717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023717