Data from: RECIFS: A centralized geo-environmental database for coral reef research and conservation

Motivation: Host to intricate networks of marine species, coral reefs are
among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth. Over the past
decades, major degradations of coral reefs have been observed worldwide,
which is largely attributed to the effects of climate change and local
stressors related to human activities. Now more than ever, characterizing
how the environment shapes the dynamics of the reef ecosystem (e.g.,
shifts in species abundance, community changes, emergence of locally
adapted populations) is key to uncovering the environmental drivers of
reef degradation, and developing efficient conservation strategies in
response. To achieve these objectives, it is pivotal that environmental
data describing the processes driving such ecosystem dynamics, which occur
across specific spatial and temporal scales, are easily accessible to
coral reef researchers and conservation stakeholders alike. Main types of
variable contained: Multiple environmental variables characterizing
various facets of the reef environment, including water chemistry and
physics (e.g., temperature, pH, chlorophyll concentration), local
anthropogenic pressures (e.g., boat detection, distance from agricultural
or urban areas) and patterns of sea currents patterns. Spatial location
and grain: Worldwide reef cells of 5-by-5 km. Time period and grain: Last
3-4 decades, monthly and yearly resolution.  Major taxa and level
of measurement: Environmental data important for coral reefs and
associated biodiversity.  Software format: Interactive
web-application available at https://recifs.epfl.ch.

珊瑚礁是诸多海洋物种复杂网络的承载生境，亦是地球上生物多样性最为丰富的生态系统之一。近数十年来，全球范围内的珊瑚礁均出现了严重退化现象，这在很大程度上归因于气候变化以及人类活动带来的局部环境压力。如今，解析环境如何塑造珊瑚礁生态系统的动态变化（例如物种丰度偏移、群落结构变迁、本地适应种群的涌现），对于揭示珊瑚礁退化的环境驱动因素、制定高效的保护应对策略而言，比以往任何时候都更为关键。为达成上述目标，面向珊瑚礁研究者与保护利益相关者，能够便捷获取描述驱动此类生态系统动态过程的环境数据——这些过程发生于特定时空尺度之下——便显得尤为关键。数据集涵盖的主要变量类型：多种表征珊瑚礁环境多维度特征的环境变量，涵盖水体理化特性（例如水温、pH值、叶绿素浓度）、局部人为活动压力（例如船只检测数据、与农业或城区的距离）以及海流模式。空间范围与格网分辨率：全球范围内的5千米×5千米珊瑚礁网格单元。时间跨度与分辨率：近30至40年，时间分辨率包含月度与年度。核心类群与测量层级：对珊瑚礁及其伴生生物多样性具有关键意义的环境数据。数据访问形式：可通过https://recifs.epfl.ch访问的交互式网页应用程序。