These data include water current velocity and direction measurements recorded by Lowell Instrument Tilt Current Meters TCM-4. This dataset was collected as part of a coastal water quality study using sensors to measure salinity, conductivity, temperature, pressure, water flow direction and velocity, dissolved oxygen, pH, chlorophyll, and turbidity.  Sensors were all deployed in West Maui in coral reef systems that were within and adjacent to the burn zone of the Lahaina fires.  The temporal range of deployments in the project spans from October of 2023 to October of 2024 with this dataset spanning from October of 2023 to March of 2024. The aim of these data is to understand the effects on coral reef health in response to the urban fires that occurred in August of 2023. Samples were collected by a collaborative effort of scientists Dr. Andrea K Kealoha, Dr. Craig Nelson, Dr. Eileen Nalley, and Dr. Nicholas Hawco.  These high-resolution time series provide critical baseline and post-disturbance information for assessing short and long-term environmental change. The dataset is intended to support ongoing monitoring efforts and inform management strategies aimed at enhancing reef resilience and recovery.

Table of Contents

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

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

Lowell Instrument Tilt Current Meters TCM-4:

Each meter was configured and calibrated using Lowell Instrument’s TCM-4 software prior to deployment. Meters were set to record at one minute intervals in "tilt mode," which calculates current velocity and direction based on deviations from vertical.

Quality control processing was carried out on each individual raw sensor file in Python prior to combining the datasets. Data were plotted and the rate of change between consecutive measurements (delta) was calculated to identify anomalous periods. Data were excluded based on the following criteria:

1) Sensor out of the water, identified by a large temperatures deltas or consistent heading direction (e.g., pointing a single direction for multiple days).

2) Sensor malfunction, identified by unrealistic values (e.g., negative measurements where physically impossible)

Following quality control, the cleaned sensor files were concatenated into a single combined dataset. The filename column identifies the original raw sensor file from which each observation was derived and is retained to preserve data provenance.

- Loaded supplemental site_list.csv table containing site metadata (Site_ID, Site_Name, Latitude, Longitude)
- Loaded lahaina_TCM_current_data_QC.csv table as 1001896_v1_lahaina-tcm, containing current meter data (Heading, ISO 8601 Time, QC_flag, Speed, Velocity-E, Velocity-N, filename, sensor_serial, site_description)
- Updated column metadata (description, supplied units) on 1001896_v1_lahaina-tcm table for columns Heading (degrees), ISO 8601 Time, QC_flag, Speed (cm/s), Velocity-E (cm/s), Velocity-N (cm/s), filename, and sensor_serial
- Renamed columns on 1001896_v1_lahaina-tcm table: "Speed (cm/s)" to Speed, "Heading (degrees)" to Heading, "Velocity-N (cm/s)" to Velocity_N, "Velocity-E (cm/s)" to Velocity_E, site_description to Site_Name, "ISO 8601 Time" to ISO_DateTime_UTC. Units are found in the "parameters" section of the dataset metadata page.
- Cast column types on 1001896_v1_lahaina-tcm table: Heading, Speed, Velocity_E, Velocity_N to number; QC_flag to integer; Site_Name, filename, sensor_serial to string; ISO_DateTime_UTC to datetime with format %Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ
- Added site id and lat lon to data table from supplemental site list. Joined site_list table into 1001896_v1_lahaina-tcm table using Site_Name as the join key, pulling in Latitude, Longitude, and Site_ID columns from site_list
- Replaced "Baby_beach" with "Baby Beach", "Lahaina_harbor" with "Lahaina Harbor" in Site_Name column of 1001896_v1_lahaina-tcm to make site names consistent with related datasets and site list
- Reordered columns on 1001896_v1_lahaina-tcm table to: Site_ID, Site_Name, Latitude, Longitude, ISO_DateTime_UTC, Speed, Heading, Velocity_N, Velocity_E, filename, sensor_serial, QC_flag
- Updated column metadata (descriptions, standard name IDs, supplied units, primary parameter flags) on 1001896_v1_lahaina-tcm table for columns Heading, ISO_DateTime_UTC, Latitude, Longitude, QC_flag, Site_ID, Site_Name, Speed, Velocity_E, Velocity_N, filename, and sensor_serial; Latitude and Longitude marked as primary parameters
- Output table as 1001896_v1_lahaina-tcm.csv

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.

NA

Coverage: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaiʻi

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.