RECIFS: A centralized geo-environmental database for coral reef research and conservation

Motivation: Host to intricate networks of marine species, coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth. Over the past decades, major degradations of coral reefs have been observed worldwide, which is largely attributed to the effects of climate change and local stressors related to human activities. Now more than ever, characterizing how the environment shapes the dynamics of the reef ecosystem (e.g., shifts in species abundance, community changes, emergence of locally adapted populations) is key to uncovering the environmental drivers of reef degradation, and developing efficient conservation strategies in response. To achieve these objectives, it is pivotal that environmental data describing the processes driving such ecosystem dynamics, which occur across specific spatial and temporal scales, are easily accessible to coral reef researchers and conservation stakeholders alike.

Main types of variable contained: Multiple environmental variables characterizing various facets of the reef environment, including water chemistry and physics (e.g., temperature, pH, chlorophyll concentration), local anthropogenic pressures (e.g., boat detection, distance from agricultural or urban areas) and patterns of sea currents patterns.

Spatial location and grain: Worldwide reef cells of 5-by-5 km.

Time period and grain: Last 3-4 decades, monthly and yearly resolution.

 Major taxa and level of measurement: Environmental data important for coral reefs and associated biodiversity.

 Software format: Interactive web-application available at https://recifs.epfl.ch.