Table of Contents

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

Sea surface temperature was recorded using HOBO Pendant Temperature Loggers attached to the central cinder block at each artificial reef. The logger recorded the temperature every six hours for the entire duration of September 2022-December 2023.

Combined temperature data (987237_v1_kaneohe-bay-halos-temperature.csv) was created by aggregating all data files together for ease of analysis. The first and last observation of each individual raw file was removed since those may have been recorded before/after the logger was placed in the water. For some months, loggers were only placed at two of the artificial reef sites, but for most months, three loggers were placed.  

The csv files named after each date when they began recording are the raw files extracted from the HOBO loggers (see Raw_temp_files.zip).

* The data table within the submitted file "Temp_combined.csv" was imported into the BCO-DMO data system for this dataset. Values "NA" imported as missing data values.   Table will appear as Data File: 987237_v1_kaneohe-bay-halos-temperature.csv (along with other download format options).
* Raw logger files submitted within a folder named "Raw temp files" were packaged into a Zip file and included as a supplemental file attached to this dataset: Raw_temp_files.zip

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.

* Date column converted to ISO 8601 format.

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.