Data for: Functional trait variability supports the use of mean trait values and identifies tradeoffs for marine macroalgae

Trait-based ecology (TBE) has proven useful in the terrestrial realm and beyond for collapsing ecological complexity into traits that can be compared and generalized across species and scales. However, TBE for marine macroalgae is still in its infancy, motivating research to build the foundation of macroalgal TBE by leveraging lessons learned from other systems.
Our objectives were to evaluate the utility of mean trait values (MTVs) across species, to explore the potential for intraspecific trait variability, and to identify macroalgal ecological strategies by clustering species with similar traits and testing for bivariate relationships between traits. To accomplish this, we measured thallus toughness, a trait associated with resistance to herbivory, and tensile strength, a trait associated with resistance to physical disturbance, in eight tropical macroalgal species across up to seven sites where they were found around Moorea, French Polynesia.
We found interspecific trait variation g..., Approaches
Our overall approach was to measure MTV and the associated variance of two functional traits for eight common species of coral reef macroalgae across seven fringing reef sites in Moorea, French Polynesia. To maximize our probability of capturing a wide range of interspecific variation, we chose a diverse set of commonly occurring algal species while to maximize our probability of capturing a wide range of intraspecific variability, we collected these algae at a diverse set of fringing reefs. We aimed to determine if MTV differs between species as well as within species across sites. Next, we identified ecological strategies used by clusters of species that could be used to resistant either herbivory or physical disturbance. Finally, we assessed the nature of bivariate trait relationships for individuals within each species.
Study system
 We conducted our study on fringing reefs of Moorea, a high volcanic island in the Society Islands archipelago of French Polynesia in the Sou...,