R script for: Shining a light on daytime coral spawning synchrony across oceans

The article details the synchronous spawning patterns of Porites rus, a
gonochoric coral species that spawns during the day. Spawning observations
(decimal spawning start time hh.mm) were collected using a non-invasive
citizen science approach between 2014 and 2023. Using two different
datasets (at reef scale and at coral colony scale), the analyses provided
in the R script show that depth, cumulated light, and sea surface
temperature can modulate spawning start time after sunrise at different
spatial scales (from single coral colonies to transoceanic scales). The
differences in spawning start time for male and female colonies are also
assessed. Observations and analyses allow extremely accurate predictions
of P. rus spawning months, days, and time (minute-level precision) at
different locations and depths in the Southern Hemisphere, facilitating
future field observations and experiments. Previously underexplored, the
highly effective reproductive strategy of P. rus may explain its broad
distribution and persistence in stressed environments, positioning it as
an invaluable model organism for studying the physiological and genetic
processes driving behavioural synchrony and biological rhythms across
interconnected biogeographical regions.