The ecological methods are described in detail in Edmunds et al. (2024, doi:10.1007/s00442-024-05517-y), and are briefly summarized below. 

The study utilized the time series of the Moorea Coral Reef LTER, as they relate to coral community dynamics on the north shore fore reef. Annual measurements of coral cover, the density of coral settlers, and the density of small corals were used together with records of the environmental conditions to which they were exposed. Analyses focused on 2008–2021, which captured the final years of the last population outbreak of the crown of thorns (COTs) sea star, the coral population recovery that took place between 2010 and 2019, and coral mortality attributed to bleaching in 2019. Biological data came from two sites (LTER1 and LTER2) that are ~ 3 km apart, with environmental data from the same or similar sites (temperature), one of the two sites (flow at LTER1), or from 4.5 km resolution remote sensing data (Chlorophyll a).

Temperature was recorded with bottom-mounted sensors (Seabird SBE39, ± 0.002°C) at 10-m depth, with one sensor at each of LTER2 and 300 m west of LTER1 (named LTER0).  Data were obtained from MCR data file knb-lter-mcr.1035.14 accessed 11 March 2022, from 10 m depth (doi: 10.6073/pasta/b8b3c1a927b7639459a244ff2ceef4e2). Sensors recorded at 0.0008 Hz, and values were averaged by day. This dataset only includes data from LTER0 and LTER2 and were used to characterize sites LTER1 and LTER2. In this file, “Site” column in this dataset refers to the site to which the data were applied in the statistical analysis (LTER1 or LTER2) and “the Data_Source” column shows which combination of sensors (at LTER0 or LTER2) was used to source the data.

Methodology excerpt from originating source data knb-lter-mcr.1035.14:
“A continuous time series of benthic water temperature is measured with bottom-mounted thermistors at six sites around the shores of Moorea, on the fringing reef, backreef, and forereef. The forereef temperature is recorded with SBE 39s at 10, 20, 30 and 40 m, starting between 2005 to 2007, except FOR00 starting in 2010. These are ongoing except the 40 m deployments were discontinued after August 2019. The backreef SBE 39s are mounted on plates at 1 m depth at LTER 1 and at 2 m depth at the other five sites. Onset HOBOs are deployed on the fringing reef at one shallow 1 m depth and one deeper depth varying by site as follows: 6 m at LTER 1, 4 m at LTER 2, 7 m at LTER 3, 6 m at LTER 4, 3 m at LTER 5 and 4 m at LTER 6. Those depths do not vary. The mounting plate is fixed to the reef. These depths are not measured by the thermistors and should be considered categorical. Temperature data are processed and resampled to a 20 minute time step. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant No. OCE 16-37396 (and earlier awards) as well as 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 2005-2022). This work represents a contribution of the Moorea Coral Reef (MCR) LTER Site.”

* See "Related Datasets" section for access to related dataset pages which include dataset-specific methodology.