HCBC 2015 Hawaii Bleaching Analysis Ready Clustered Data

The analysis-ready data described here result from performing hierarchical clustering of individual coral bleaching surveys conducted across the Hawaiian Archipelago in 2015. In order to resolve issues of spatial autocorrelation, the surveys were grouped into distinct clusters with a spatial resolution of 1km. This dataset contains environmental data paired for all 2015 observations, used to analyze drivers of the coral bleaching event. This dataset also contains weights assigned to each observation.

Data collected during the 2015 bleaching event in the Hawaiian Archipelago was analyzed to understand drivers of bleaching.

The observation data (.csv) includes metadata for data cluster (ID, location, depth, year of surveys) and the percent of live coral cover that was bleached. Data from also includes corresponding environmental and anthropogenic parameters used in analysis.

While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty.

The Main Hawaiian Islands.

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NOAA Ecosystem Science Division (ESD) Data Sharing Recommendations, version 9.0 updated August 12, 2015:

ESD welcomes the opportunity to collaborate on research issues contributing to the scientific basis for better management of marine ecosystems. ESD has a very diverse set of field activities that generates large volumes of data using an array of data collection protocols.

The following recommendations are for your consideration as you use this data:

1) Data analyses should take all field exigencies into account. The most effective way to do this would be active collaboration with ESD principal investigators.

2) In all presentations, product releases, or publications using data generated by ESD, proper acknowledgement of both ESD and the individuals responsible for data collection is expected. Citing the DOI (if available) is preferred, a non-DOI example is listed below.

3) If you collect or generate data for the same study areas, ESD requests that you share relevant information on complimentary data collections.

4) Those receiving data are strongly urged to inform the ESD Data Management Team of any errors and discrepancies that are discovered during the course of using these data. They are further urged to bring to the attention of the Team all problems and difficulties encountered in using these data. This information is necessary in order to improve the collections and to facilitate more efficient and economical data processing and retrieval. The users are asked to supply copies of any missing data that may be located, and to provide information as to significant subsets and special aggregations of data that are developed in using the material provided.

Data can be accessed online via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive.

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Please cite the Hawaii Coral Bleaching Collaborative (NOAA Fisheries Ecosystem Sciences Division; State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources; Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology; The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii; the University of Hawaii at Manoa; NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary) when using the data.

Example:

Hawaii Coral Bleaching Collaborative, 2021: 2015 Hawaii Bleaching Analysis Ready Clustered Data, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/64771.

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The raw survey data from the 2015 surveys was originally recorded by each participant of the Hawaii Coral Bleaching Collaborative before being compiled into a single multi-sheet spreadsheet by the NOAA Fisheries Ecosystem Sciences Division.

The survey data was then clustered to a 1km spatial resolution for analysis. Mean values of % bleaching and environmental parameters were calculated per each cluster. See Child Item and Lineage for more details on environmental parameters.

Observations were made by experienced and trained benthic survey personnel. The accuracy of species and genus level identification was high.

Handheld GPS units were used to locate random sites and mark site locations.

Only shallow water (0 to 30 meter depth range) hard-bottom habitats were surveyed. Randomly selected survey sites were chosen using a systematic process based on available habitat and bathymetric data. Although efforts were made to include broad spatial coverage of surveys at each island, weather conditions and other environmental constraints may affect these efforts.

Observations made using the same survey method were conducted in a consistent manner, and nuances between survey methods are noted.

Quality control of the data occurred at a few stages from initial data entry per institution, to data compilation into a single Excel spreadsheet. Observations, including species identification, were periodically checked during expeditions for consistency between and among divers. Data entry was usually conducted on the same day as the surveys using a data entry interface with several data controls employed, and were quality controlled by individual divers checking entry errors at a separate time. Following a mission, the data was run through rigorous quality control checks. The data was quality controlled against the physical data sheets following data entry.

The data is captured in both physical data sheets, an external hard drive, and a NOAA Fisheries server at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). The physical data sheets are housed at PIFSC. PIFSC servers are regularly backed up by PIFSC ITS.

Coral bleaching surveys were conducted during the 2015 thermal stress event in the Hawaiian Archipelago. In order to avoid spatial autocorrelation in subsequent analyses, hierarchical clustering was performed to group survey data into distinct clusters with a spatial resolution of 1km. Transformed and scaled weights were assigned per cluster based upon the inverse of the standard error of mean percent bleaching.