Data from: Benthic cyanobacterial mat formation during severe coral bleaching at Lizard Island: the mediating role of water currents

This data record contains data associated with the publication:Tebbett SB, Streit RP, Morais J, Schlaefer JA, Swan S, Bellwood DR (2022) Benthic cyanobacterial mat formation during severe coral bleaching at Lizard Island: the mediating role of water currents. Marine Environmental Research 181:105752. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105752In this study we examined cyanobacterial mat distribution during a severe coral bleaching event at Lizard Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia). This study was based on the cover of cyanobacterial mats, and other benthic components, from inside 1 m² photoquadrats (n = 349). The photoquadrats were spread across 19 transects around Lizard Island and photoqaudrats were fixed (i.e. the same areas were repeatedly sampled/photographed). Photoquadrats were repeatedly sampled at six points in time between February 2016 and January 2021, with particularly focused sampling (three times in 2016) around the severe coral bleaching event that affected Lizard Island in 2016. Photoquadrats were analysed to determine benthic cover of major benthic components, under 40 randomly stratified points in each photoquadrat, using the software photoquad V_1_4. The CSV file in this dataset contains the raw benthic cover data analysed in this paper. The numbers under each benthic component in the dataset relate to the number of points that fell on that component in each quadrat.For full methodological details (including details/data on water currents), please see the published manuscript and associated supporting information (outlined above).