Table of Contents

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

Fish community surveys were conducted monthly at the same time as nutrient sampling and vegetation transects. Surveys were conducted by the same observer each time who would sit ~3m away from the reef to minimize disturbance, and record all fish seen within 1m of the reef for three minutes. After that time, the observer would move to the reef and attempt for another two minutes to record any fish that may not have been initially visible. This was repeated at each of the three artificial reefs.  Surveys were conducted with mask and snorkel. 

* The data table within the submitted file "fish surveys.csv" (uploaded 2025-10-28) was imported into the BCO-DMO data system for this dataset. Values "NA" imported as missing data values.   Table will appear as Data File: 985611_v1_kaneohe-bay-halos_fish-surveys.csv (along with other download format options).

Missing Data Identifiers:
* In the BCO-DMO data system missing data identifiers are displayed according to the format of data you access. For example, in csv files it will be blank (null) values. In Matlab .mat files it will be NaN values. When viewing data online at BCO-DMO, the missing value will be shown as blank (null) values.

* A unique category list was created and added as a supplemental file along with matching LSIDs for taxonomic names by matching names in the data with the World Register of Marine Species taxa match tool (match performed 2025-10-16).

* Correction was made after consultation with the data submitter. One row entry where the common and sciName did not agree. Data row 79 (not including header row) was corrected :

Acanthurus blochii     Ringtail Surgeonfish     Surgeonfish
was:
Acanthurus blochii Hawaiian Sergeant Damselfish

NSF Award Abstract:
Coral reefs worldwide are under increasing threat from a range of human-induced stressors. Climate change is understood to be a key global stressor threatening reefs, but the only proven levers for ecosystem managers to increase reef resilience is to mitigate local and regional stressors such as fishing pressure. A vexing question persists, however, which is how to measure the effects of fishing on ecosystems, particularly over the large spatial (e.g., >10s of meters) and temporal (multi-year) scales over which fishing occurs. One promising approach to doing so is using the large-scale vegetation patterns found on coral reefs globally, called “halos”, to remotely observe when, where, and to what extent fishing pressure is affecting community structure and function. This program combines lab- and field-based experiments with cutting-edge satellite imaging technology and computer science approaches to provide a leap forward in our understanding of how species-level interactions can scale up in space and time to shape coral reef seascapes around the world. By drawing on these approaches, the synergistic education program: 1) integrates science and art (i.e., murals and satellite imagery) to educate and inspire Hawai‘i’s students and general public about coral reef ecology; 2) builds technological capacity in Hawai‘i’s underrepresented minority high school to graduate students, and 3) empowers these students with science communication skills to communicate with diverse audiences. By leveraging this research program and the cutting-edge technologies it will involve, the investigator establishes a strong foundation for long-term teaching and mentoring activities focused on increasing capacity within STEM-underrepresented minorities with Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander backgrounds. Decoding what coral reef halos can tell us about the effects of fishing on reef ecosystem health provides valuable knowledge to reef ecosystem managers and conservation practitioners as reefs continue to rapidly change due to human stressors.

This project combines lab- and field-based experiments with cutting-edge satellite imaging technology and computer science approaches to address the goals of: 1) determining the mechanisms that create the “halos” that form around coral patch reefs, and 2) testing the predictions arising from these mechanisms in a global arena. This project uses a transdisciplinary approach – spanning ecology, oceanography, geospatial science, and computer science – to address these goals. This program has three scientific objectives: to determine 1) which species interaction mechanisms and environmental factors cause reef halos and what their relative importance is; 2) whether these mechanisms are globally consistent or vary geographically; and 3) whether halos can therefore be used as an indicator of aspects of coral reef ecosystem health. In the process, this research advances our understanding of how remote observation tools (satellite and drone imagery; camera traps) can be integrated with computer science (machine learning) and ecological approaches (mechanistic experiments) to generate emergent insights that would not otherwise be possible.

This project is jointly funded by the Biological Oceanography Program, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and Ocean Education Programs.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.