Field Measurements and GPS Locations of Atrina vexillum in French Polynesia

This dataset contains field measurements, depth records, and geographic coordinates for 2650 individuals of Atrina vexillum, a large Indo-Pacific pen shell, surveyed in March 2022 around Moorea (Society Archipelago, French Polynesia). Data were collected through non-destructive underwater surveys using snorkeling and SCUBA in shallow lagoon habitats (<10 m depth). For each individual, the following information was recorded: sampling date, island code, shell width measured in situ, estimated total shell size (based on published morphometric relationships), depth at the point of detection, and decimal-degree geographic coordinates (South and West). Each row corresponds to a unique individual and includes: Sample code Sampling date Individual ID Island code (MO = Moorea; BO = Bora-Bora; RA = Raiatea; TA = Tahaa; HU = Huahine; TH = Tahiti) Depth (m) Shell width (cm) Estimated shell size (cm) Latitude (CoordonneesSUD, decimal degrees) Longitude (CoordonneesOUEST, decimal degrees) Coordinates correspond to field GPS locations recorded during underwater surveys. This dataset supports a broader ecological assessment of Atrina vexillum in French Polynesia and contributes to documentation of habitat use, size structure, and spatial patterns in lagoon ecosystems of the Society Islands. This dataset supports the following publication: Guttierez, T., Gache, C., & Planes, S. (2026). Depth and substrate shape the ecology of pen-shell Atrina vexillum in coral reef lagoons. Aquatic Ecology, 60(2), 64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-026-10291-5