Estimated Coral Cover in Hawaiʻi - Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System
Original (non-English) name
Acronym
Estimated Coral Cover in Hawaiʻi - PacIOOS
Citation
When using these data, please cite the original publication: Franklin, E.C., P.L. Jokiel, and M.J. Donahue. 2013. Predictive modeling of coral distribution and abundance in the Hawaiian Islands. Marine Ecology Progress Series 481: 121-132. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10252.
Additionally, please cite the Dryad data package: Franklin, E.C., P.L. Jokiel, and M.J. Donahue. 2014. Data from: Predictive modeling of coral distribution and abundance in the Hawaiian Islands. Dryad Digital Repository. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9vd0q.
Abstract
Erik Franklin, Paul Jokiel, and Megan Donahue (2013) studied the shallow seafloor of the eight Main Hawaiian Islands at depths between 0 and 30 meters to map the benthic cover of six coral species: Montipora capitata, Montipora flabellata, Montipora patula, Porites compressa, Porites lobata, and Pocillopora meandrina. From diver surveys and environmental datasets collected from 2000 to 2009, Franklin et al. (2013) used statistical distribution models to estimate coral distribution based on the following factors: depth, island age, significant wave height, downwelled irradiance, rugosity, and benthic morphology. Wave energy and wave exposure appeared to have the most substantial effect on coral distribution patterns. The data are shown as percentages, which represent the estimated spatial coverage of a coral species across each 50 meter grid cell.
This project aims to evaluate the contribution of environmental drivers to Hawaiian corals through distribution models. Data from this project may aid in future ecosystem modeling and marine spatial planning efforts that wish to maintain and preserve Hawaiian coral reefs.