Dataset: Abundance and percent cover of Millepora species at Cabritte Horn (St.John, US Virgin Islands) from 1992-2021

ValidatedFinal no updates expectedDOI: 10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.875524.1Version 1 (2022-06-09)Dataset Type:Other Field Results

Principal Investigator: Peter J. Edmunds (California State University Northridge)

BCO-DMO Data Manager: Dana Stuart Gerlach (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)


Project: RUI: Pattern and process in four decades of change on Caribbean reefs (St John Coral Reefs)


Abstract

These data describe the abundance of Millepora species (as percent cover) at Cabritte Horn, St. John, US Virgin Islands from 1992-2021. They are used to evaluate how the abundance of this coral (% cover) has changed over three decades.

Abundance of Millepora species was examined by measuring percent cover at Cabritte Horn in St. John, US Virgin Islands across three decades.  Photographic sampling of quadrats (0.5m x 0.5 m) was performed from 1992 to 2021 using cameras mounted on a framer about 80 centimeters above the reef.  Color slide film was used from 1992–2000 (and digitized at 4000 dpi), with digital photography implemented in 2001.  Photoquadrats were recorded at random positions along the transect, which was 20 meters long from 1992–1999 and 40 meters long from 2000-2021.  

The abundance of Millepora sp. chaotically changed from 1992 to 2021 in concert with hurricanes, bleaching, and macroalgal crowding. To access images showing these patterns, see Related Publications section below for Coral Image Downloads and Viewer link (Cabritte Horn images can be found under "Random Sites").  For details on percent cover of macroalgae, see dataset https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/875543 (see Related Datasets section below). 


Related Datasets

IsRelatedTo

Dataset: Percent cover of macroalgae at Cabritte Horn
Relationship Description: Part of same study on benthic percent cover
Edmunds, P. J. (2022) Abundance and percent cover of macroalgae at Cabritte Horn (St.John, US Virgin Islands) from 1992-2020. Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2022-06-10 doi:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.875543.1
IsRelatedTo

Dataset: Millepora features
Edmunds, P. J. (2022) Morphology and features of Millepora colonies at Cabritte Horn (St.John, US Virgin Islands) from 1992-2021. Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2022-06-13 doi:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.875553.1
IsSupplementedBy

Dataset: https://coralreefs.csun.edu/data/coral-image-viewer/
NSF Coral Reef Time Series, Virgin Islands. (2022). Raw Coral Image Downloads and Viewer. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://coralreefs.csun.edu/data/coral-image-viewer/

Related Publications

Results

Edmunds P. J. (2022). Persistence of a sessile benthic organism promoted by a morphological strategy combining sheets and trees. Proceedings. Biological sciences, 289(1978), 20220952. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0952
Related Research

Edmunds, P. (2013). Decadal-scale changes in the community structure of coral reefs of St. John, US Virgin Islands. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 489, 107–123. doi:10.3354/meps10424
Software

Abràmoff, M.D, Magalhães, P.J., Ram, S.J. 2004. Image processing with ImageJ. Biophotonics International 11(7): 36−42
Software

Systat Software, Inc. (n.d.). SYSTAT - Powerful Statistical Analysis and Graphics Software Available from https://systatsoftware.com/products/systat/.