Table of Contents

• Coverage
• Dataset Description
  • Methods & Sampling
  • Data Processing Description
  • BCO-DMO Processing Description
  • Problem Description
• Related Datasets
• Parameters
• Instruments
• Project Information
• Funding

Sensors were deployed within the benthic reef system at the listed sites.

 Sea and Sun Technology  CTD 48Mc:

Calibrations were done on the fluorescence and conductivity sensors using reference materials prior to deployment.  The sensors were configured using log at 10 minute intervals with five 5 second burst samples.

Quality control processing was carried out in python.

QC Process for Sea and Sun Sensors:
Raw data: Data taken from each sensor as it was pulled out of the water.
QC-H: The raw data was analyzed by Hereon Institute, and quality flags were added. 
QC-1: Quality flags placed by Hereon Institute were removed, and burst samples were averaged to make singular points.
QC-2: QC-1 data points with a large standard error of the mean were flagged if they exceeded the determined threshold.  
QC-3: QC-2 data points were cross-referenced with the adjacent sensor in the milk-crate

Supplemental files:
* Supplemental site and deployment tables formatted from listed information provided in the original dataset submission metadata section "Location." Added as lahaina_site_list.csv and lahaina_sensor_deployment.csv. These tables list all sites and deployments of the related datasets in the study.

NSF Award Abstract:
Maui’s coral reefs support subsistence, recreational, and commercial fishing, particularly for the large Native Hawaiian population. In August 2023, hurricane winds and low humidity combined with the recent drought to cause an unprecedented fire in Lahaina, an urban coastal town on the island of Maui. The fire quickly burned over 2170 acres and 2200 structures, releasing ash, particulate matter and potentially toxic materials into the adjacent coastal waters. This project provides novel information on the ecological impacts of wildfires to coral reefs to aid in climate change adaptation and emergency response planning. Cultural perspectives and traditional knowledge of Native Hawaiian community members are incorporated throughout the research process. The project directly supports four students, including a Native Hawaiian student, to participate in activities including field work, data collection, analyses and interpretation, and communication of research results.

A wildfire in an urban city located adjacent to a coral reef is unprecedented but may become more common as expanding shoreline development intersects with potentially increased fire risk with climate change. The overall objective of this study is to examine the direct effects of urban wildfires and associated potential stressors - such as reduced water quality, acidification, hypoxia, and heavy metals - on coral reef ecosystem function and the potential for regime shifts favoring benthic algae instead of corals. Using the 2023 Lahaina wildfire as a case study, the project employs a “before-after control-impact” design to compare three west Maui reefs both affected and unaffected by wildfire, with special attention to the anticipated remobilization of organic matter, toxic compounds (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and metals following rain events in autumn. Physical and chemical water parameters will constrain the reef-scale carbon cycle and coral metabolism before, during and after runoff events to document the ecological responses to urban fire impacts. This project will support three Early Career Researchers, contribute toward research training for multiple graduate and undergraduate students, and provide valuable information about contaminants and water quality to a community that relies heavily on coral reef resources.