MCR LTER: Coral Reef: Material legacy disturbance type model; data for Kopecky et al., 2023 Ecology

This data package contains the code necessary to create a mathematical model of coral reef recovery dynamics following different types and intensities of disturbances that either remove dead coral skeletons (e.g., tropical storms) or leave standing dead skeletons (e.g., coral bleaching) and run associated analyses. We explored the sensitivity of the model to variation in key parameters, such as the strength of herbivory, and the degree to which dead skeletons protect algae from herbivory. Further, we assessed disturbance intensities and values of these parameters that lead to shifts between coral and macroalgae-dominated reefs. This code was published in Ecology and were a part of the thesis of K. Kopecky (2023). Analyses and full methods descriptions of this model can be found in the manuscript “Material legacies can degrade resilience: Structure-retaining disturbances promote regime shifts on coral reefs” (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4006). No novel data were used or generated in this study. This manuscript uses data collected by the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research (MCR LTER) site under Grant No. OCE 2224354 (and earlier awards). Additional financial support to the MCR LTER site was provided through a generous gift from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Research was completed under permits issued by the French Polynesian Government (Délégation à la Recherche) and the Haut-commissariat de la République en Polynésie Francaise (DTRT) (Protocole d'Accueil 2005-2023).