Full description
This data publication contains data and scripts associated with the publication:
Tebbett SB, Connolly SR, Bellwood DR. Benthic composition changes on coral reefs at global scales. Nature Ecology and Evolution
In this study we wanted to gain an insight into likely coral reef configurations of the near future. Specifically we focused on two relatively straightforward questions: 1) how is the benthic composition of coral reefs changing at a global scale? and 2) how, and to what extent, do these changes vary among major marine realms? To explore these questions, we compiled an extensive, global, dataset composed of observations of coral reef benthic composition (cover of 6 benthic categories).
The individual datapoints in our dataset were mean site level (i.e. a unique latitude and longitude) benthic community composition data. The six benthic categories were: hard coral, soft corals, macroalgae, low lying algae, sand, and other. We sourced all data from publicly availably databases (all references are supplied in CSV file 1) and previous literature (references and data supplied in CSV files 2 and 3). Specifically, we compiled benthic composition data from six major publicly available monitoring databases: Reef Check, Reef Check Australia, Reef Life Survey, Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARICOMP), Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The raw data from these six publicly available databases can be accessed through the list of references and relevant accession details listed in CSV file 1. There are 48 references listed in this file as these detail the specific location of each individual data source within these broader databases to ensure raw data can be easily located. To complement the data from these databases and to ensure that our dataset was comprehensive, we then undertook an extensive formal search of the literature for available data. Ultimately, this search process resulted in 83 publications with data that could be used in our study. The references and derived data from these 83 studies is provided in CSV files 2 and 3.
This data publication also includes five R scripts (R markdown files) that detail the statistical analyses and compilation of figures from the main text in the manuscript.
For full methodological details, please see the published manuscript (referenced above).
Further details of the files associated with this data publication can also be found in the 'read me' file.
Created: 2022-11-30
Data time period:
1977-2018
Spatial Coverage And Location
text: The data cover all major coral reef regions globally between ±30° of latitude from the Equator and from 0 – 30 m water depth.
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