Full description
Background: In this study, we use both an observational and experimental approach to test whether overgrowth of corals by encrusting sponges is impacting on fish assemblages, either by reducing coral cover or structural complexity.
Methods: In the field, we established 36 quadrats (33 m each), divided into low (<1% cover), medium (5–10%), and high sponge cover (>20%), with 12 quadrats per sponge cover category. We also established 12 additional 33 m quadrats where sponges were removed to assess the response of fishes to sponge removal. Fish surveys were conducted using Underwater Visual Censuses (UVC) performed in each quadrat for 30 minutes. The fish census was repeated four times: once before sponge removal and three times after removal, at intervals of 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks. The resulting data were analysed using univariate and multivariate methods.
This data record contains:
- 4 x .csv files containing survey data
- 4 x R. scripts describing the analyses step by step.
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Software/equipment used to create/collect the data: Microsoft® Excel® for Microsoft 365 MSO (16.0.14326.20936) 64-bit
Software/equipment used to manipulate/analyse the data: R version 4.1.3 (2022-03-10)
Platform: x86_64-w64-mingw32/x64 (64-bit)
Running under: Windows 10 x64 (build 19043)
Created: 2026-03-16
Data time period: 10 2019 to 29 02 2020
dcmiPoint: east=150.381219; north=-5.212574; projection=WGS84
text: Gava Gava reef, Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea
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- DOI : 10.25903/RE30-MG27
- Local : researchdata.jcu.edu.au//published/5e7bb57070b211efb4b813dd9d5164e2
