MCR LTER: Coral Reef: Long-term Population Dynamics of Acanthaster planci, ongoing since 2005

These data describe the abundance of Acanthaster planci, Crown of Thorns Sea stars, surveyed as part of MCR LTER's annual reef fish monitoring program. This study began in 2005 and the dataset is updated annually. The abundances of A. planci observed on a five-by-fifty meter transect are recorded by a diver using SCUBA. Surveys are conducted between 0900 and 1600 hours (Moorea time) during late July or early August each year. Four replicate transects are surveyed in each of three habitats (forereef, backreef, and fringing reef) at six locations, two on each of Moorea's three sides, on the forereef, six locations on the backreef (two on each of Moorea's three sides for a total of 72 individual transects. Transects are permanently marked using a series of small, stainless steel posts affixed to the reef. Transects on the forereef are located at a depth of approximately 12m, those on the backreef are located at a depth of approximately 1.5m and those on the fringing reef are located at a depth of approximately 10m. This monitoring program is consistent with the protocols adopted by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and the Australian Institute of Marine Science for use with the Great Barrier Reef Long-term Monitoring Program. This material 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 2005-2024). These data from the years 2005-2010 were published in: Adam, T.C., R.J. Schmitt, S.J. Holbrook, A.J. Brooks, P.J. Edmunds, R.C. Carpenter and G. Bernardi. 2011. Herbivory, connectivity, and ecosystem resilience: response of a coral reef to a large-scale perturbation. PLoS One 6(8): e23717

本数据集记录了长棘海星（Acanthaster planci，俗称棘冠海星）的种群丰度，相关调查为莫雷阿珊瑚礁长期生态研究（Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research, 简称MCR LTER）年度礁鱼监测项目的组成部分。本监测研究始于2005年，数据集每年更新。研究人员采用水肺潜水（SCUBA）技术，记录5×50米样带上观测到的长棘海星种群密度。野外调查于每年7月末至8月初开展，调查时段为莫雷阿岛当地时间9:00至16:00。本研究在3类调查生境（前礁、后礁与岸礁）中开展，每类生境各设6个调查点位（莫雷阿岛三侧各2个），每个点位布设4条重复样带，总计72条独立样带。所有样带均通过固定在礁体上的小型不锈钢桩进行永久标记。其中，前礁样带布设水深约为12米，后礁样带约为1.5米，岸礁样带约为10米。本监测方案符合全球珊瑚礁监测网络（Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network）与澳大利亚海洋科学研究所（Australian Institute of Marine Science）针对大堡礁长期监测项目制定的规范标准。本数据集使用了美国国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation, NSF）下属MCR LTER站点在OCE 2224354号（及此前资助项目）资助下采集的数据。MCR LTER站点同时获得了戈登与贝蒂·摩尔基金会（Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation）的慷慨资助。本研究的开展已获得法属波利尼西亚政府研究署（Délégation à la Recherche）及法国驻波利尼西亚高级专员公署（DTRT, Protocole d'Accueil 2005-2024）签发的许可文件。2005至2010年的相关数据集已发表于以下论文：Adam TC, Schmitt RJ, Holbrook SJ, Brooks AJ, Edmunds PJ, Carpenter RC, Bernardi G. 2011. 植食作用、连通性与生态系统恢复力：珊瑚礁对大规模扰动的响应. PLoS One 6(8): e23717