Derived variables and coordinates to assess the ecological relevance of multiscale bathymetry for coral species distribution modelling across the Great Barrier Reef

With constant improvements in the accuracy and availability of open-source digital elevation models (DEMs) comes a need to properly understand the relevance of their derived topographic variables in ecological research, particularly in marine environments. Here, we provide data and scripts used to investigate the ecological relevance of two open-source bathymetric models for deriving topographic variables to perform species distribution modelling of coral across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. We illustrate our methods with a case study based on three common Acropora coral species (A. hyacinthus, A. spathulata, A. kenti) across 23 reefs of the GBR, where we produce high performing distribution maps using purely topographic variables derived from three open-access bathymetry models. 
A script is provided to first download and process bathymetry DEMs from the Allen Coral Atlas and the DeepReef projects, before performing a multiscale generalisation to acquire these DEMs..., Georeferenced coral occurrence data and depth measurements of three Acropora species were recorded within the context of coral adaptation research. Data was collected over three years (2021-2023) at 23 reefs spanning the extent of the Great Barrier Reef as part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), targeting Acropora hyacinthus, Acropora spathulata and Acropora tenuis colonies. Here, coordinates, depth and health chart data of 2368 colonies are provided, alongside indications of which colony was used in specific analyses. Georeferenced coordinates were collected using a GPS towed behind divers during sampling campaigns, where timestamps on colony photos were used to find the associated coordinates. Colony depth was recorded using dive computers and corrected to the lowest astronomical tide using a custom R script. Details of the tide station along with the collection date’s tide levels are provided. The coordinates and corrected depths were used to investigate the accur..., , # Derived variables and coordinates to assess the ecological relevance of multiscale bathymetry for coral species distribution modelling across the Great Barrier Reef

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wdbrv15vk](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wdbrv15vk)

This data accompanies the article '*Harnessing multiscale topographic environmental proxies in regional coral spatial modelling*' by Annie Guillaume, Renata Ferrari, Oliver Selmoni, Véronique Mocellin, Hugo Denis, Melissa Naugle, Emily Howells, Line Bay, and Stéphane Joost. Here, the accuracy of two open-source digital elevation models (DEMs) are assessed, along with the relevance of their derived topographic variables for use in marine ecological modelling. We provide scripts and relevant csv files to illustrate our methods with a case study based on three common *Acropora* coral species across the Great Barrier Reef, where we produce high performing distribution maps using purely topographic variables derived from three open-access bathy...,