MCR LTER: Coral Reef: Community Dynamics: Abundance and Species Richness of Fishes Associated with the Coral Porites rus

These data describe the species richness and abundance as part of MCR
LTER's reef fish monitoring program to track long-term patterns in species
abundance and diversity. This study began in 2000 in the lagoons off of the
north shore of the island of Moorea, French Polynesia and the dataset is updated
annually. The abundance and life history stage (adults, juveniles or recruits) of
all taxa of fishes associated with selected colonies (5-16 colonies per site) of the
mound forming coral Porites rus are recorded at seven reef sites located along the
north shore of Moorea. These sites are characterized by differences in water depth,
distance to the fore reef and the number and types of neighboring corals. Counts are
performed by a pair of divers using SCUBA and include semi-cryptic species.