Details of field methods and data analysis are published in van Woesik & Cacciapaglia (2019).

Twenty-four study sites were randomly selected in each of Pohnpei (6.2°N, 158.2°E) and Kosrae (5.3°N, 162.9°E), Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), using a randomly stratified sampling approach with the package sp in R. In Pohnpei, reefs were stratified as inner reefs, patch reefs, and outer reefs. In Kosrae, we only stratified the reefs as either inner reefs or outer reefs (because of the lack of patch reefs). Sample size of each strata was determined by calculating the geographic area of each reef type, using the area function from the R package raster, and allocating the number of sites in accordance with the area estimates. Reef surveys focused on the 2–5 meters depth contour to estimate shallow-water carbonate production.

Six, 10 m transects, using a modified line-intercept technique that followed the reef substrate, were used to measure the benthic composition for every centimeter, at each site of the 48 sites. A few meters gap was allocated between the ends of the transects to ensure no overlap of substrate between transects. Corals were recorded to species level, except massive Porites and encrusting Montipora, which were recorded in the field as growth forms. All other organisms along each transect were identified to the highest possible taxonomic resolution. Rugosity was recorded using the planar length of a second transect that spanned across the reef horizontally. Echinoids were recorded within 30 cm on either side of the 10 m tape. The urchins were recorded as Echinometra, Diadema, and ‘Other’, and the diameter of each echinoid test was measured to the nearest 0.5 cm. The abundance of Acanthaster solaris (crown-of-thorns sea star) were recorded within 5 m along each of the six 10 m transects. Herbivorous parrotfishes were videoed and identified to species and their estimated length was recorded to the nearest cm along six transects, each of which was 30 m long by 4 m wide. Care was taken to record the fish-transect videos ahead of the other transects to avoid any disturbance to the fishes.

Gross production was estimated as the total rate of carbonate production, excluding erosion rates. Erosion includes parrotfish and urchin erosional forces combined (which does not include sea urchin (Acanthaster solaris) erosion). Net production was estimated from gross carbonate production minus the erosional estimates and sedimentation inputs. Refer to van Woesik & Cacciapaglia (2019) for more information.