Experimental coral-growth data and time-series imagery for Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.

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Frequently anticipated questions:

What does this data set describe?

Title:
Experimental coral-growth data and time-series imagery for Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.
Abstract:
The USGS Coral Reef Ecosystems Studies project (https://coastal.er.usgs.gov/crest/) provides science that helps resource managers tasked with the stewardship of coral reef resources. This data release contains data on coral-growth rates and time-series photographs taken of colonies of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, grown at five sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from Spring 2018 to Autumn 2019. The data will be used to inform resource managers of the capacity for restoration and growth of this threatened species of coral along 350 kilometers of the Florida reef tract to aid species recovery throughout the western Atlantic. The datasets included here were interpreted in Kuffner and others (2020). Kuffner, I.B., Stathakopoulos, A., Toth, L.T., and Bartlett, L.A. In press. Reestablishing a stepping-stone population of the threatened coral, Acropora palmata, to aid regional recovery. Endangered Species Research.
Supplemental_Information:
Scientific research permits: The data herein were collected with permission from the National Park Service and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary under permit numbers BISC-2018-SCI-0014, BISC-2019-SCI-0010, DRTO-2017-SCI-0001, DRTO-2019-SCI-0005, FKNMS-2016-085-A1 and FKNMS-2019-139. To ensure that USGS-St. Petersburg data management protocols were followed, each survey when data were collected was assigned the following USGS field activity number (FAN): 2018-327-FA, 2018-359-FA, 2019-316-FA and 2019-367-FA. Additional survey and data details are available from the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geoscience Data System (CMGDS) at, https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Kuffner, Ilsa B., Stathakopoulos, Anastasios, Toth, Lauren T., and Bartlett, Lucy A., 20201013, Experimental coral-growth data and time-series imagery for Acropora palmata in the Florida Keys, U.S.A.: U.S. Geological Survey Data Release doi:10.5066/P9KZEGXY, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL.

    Online Links:

    This is part of the following larger work.

    Kuffner, Ilsa B., Stathakopoulos, Anastasios, Toth, Lauren T., and Bartlett, Lucy A., Unknown, Reestablishing a stepping-stone population of the threatened coral, Acropora palmata, to aid regional recovery: Inter-Research Science Publisher, Lüneburg, Germany.

    Online Links:

    • Unknown

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -82.7988
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -80.0956
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 25.59047
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.62687
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 2018
    Ending_Date: 2019
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data; tabular data
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    Palmata_growth_FL_USA.csv, Palmata_growth_FL_USA.xlsx
    These files contain attribute information for data describing the growth of corals of the species Acropora palmata, which were obtained from the Coral Restoration Foundation (Key Largo, Florida) and grown at five study sites on the Florida Keys reef tract during three time intervals: Summer 2018, Winter 2019, and Summer 2019. Data include coral identification numbers, genetic identification label, site where they were deployed for growth, time interval, condition of coral colony at the end of time interval identified in "time_interval", calcification rate per planar area per day, change in coral planar-footprint surface area per day, and change in coral height per day. To view the data in a tab-delimited format arranged by column, please use the Excel spreadsheet. (Source: USGS)
    Coral_ID
    A numeric identifier for each coral colony in the study, assigned by USGS personnel. (Source: USGS) Non-sequential, increasing numerical identifiers ranging between 500 and 999.
    Genet_ID
    A textual identifier for each genetic strain (genet) of elkhorn coral in the study, as assigned by Coral Reef Foundation (Key Largo, FL) personnel or the USGS (Dry Tortugas genet only), based upon the collection location of the original colony from which samples were taken and placed into nursery propagation. The two-letter site abbreviations are "DT" indicates Dry Tortugas, "CN" indicates Conch Reef, "SN" indicates Snapper Ledge, "CF" indicates Carysfort Reef, "HS" indicates Horseshoe Reef, and "ML" indicates Molasses Reef. GPS coordinates of original colonies are "DT1" 24 37.267 N, 82 52.050 W, "CN2" 24 57.586 N 80 27.366 W, "SN1" 24 58.891 N 80 25.330 W, "CF4" 25 12.606 N 80 13.109 W, "HS1" 25 8.397 N 80 17.675 W, "ML2" 25 0.597 N 80 22.435 W. (Source: USGS) A textual description of the geographic site where the original coral genets were collected by the Coral Restoration Foundation (not the site where the fragments were deployed).
    Site_ID
    A textual identifier of the site, assigned by locations where corals were deployed and named by USGS personnel as follows: "PLW" indicates Pulaski Shoal West (24.74667 N 83.04167 W, 12 feet of seawater (fsw)) and "PLS" indicates Pulaski Shoal Light (24 41.613 N 82 46.368 W, 16 fsw) in Dry Tortugas National Park, "SMK" indicates Sombrero Reef (24 37.612 N 81 06.536 W, 14 fsw) Sanctuary Preservation Area in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), "CRK" indicates Crocker Reef (24 54.545 N 80 31.599 W, 13 fsw) in the FKNMS, and "FWY" indicates Fowey Rocks in Biscayne National Park (25 35.425 N 80 05.736 W, 13 fsw). (Source: USGS) A textual description of the geographic site where data were collected.
    Time_interval
    A numerical identifier of the time interval during which the data were collected. Time "1" is April/May 2018 to October 2018, Time "2" is October 2018 to May 2019, Time "3" is May 2019 to Oct/Nov 2019. (Source: USGS) Time intervals are not exactly the same for each site, so data are normalized to the number of days between site visits (meaning, converted to rates) to reflect this source of variability in the data.
    Condition
    A textual identifier assigned by USGS personnel as follows: "live" indicates that the coral gained mass and had live tissue during the entire time interval, "dead" indicates the coral had no live tissue remaining at the end of the time interval, "lost" indicates the coral was lost from the study site for reasons that do not pertain to the experimental questions. (Source: USGS) A textual identifier assigned by USGS personnel describing the condition of the coral during the time interval.
    Calcif_mg_cm2_d
    Dry mass of calcium carbonate gained during the time interval specified in column 4 in the units of mg per square centimeter (planar area at start of time interval) per day. If the coral was no longer in the study area during the specified time interval or if more than 50 percent of tissue had died in an earlier time interval, there is no value reported (data cell left blank). (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.76
    Maximum:14.16
    Units:milligrams per square centimeter per day
    del_SA_mm2_d
    Change in planar-footprint surface area of the colony since the start of the time interval named in column 4 in units of square millimeters per day. If the coral was no longer in the study area during the specified time interval or if more than 50 percent of the tissue had died in an earlier time interval, there is no value reported (data cell left blank). (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-3.4
    Maximum:122.3
    Units:square millimeters per day
    del_height_mm_d
    Change in colony height since the start of the time interval named in column 4 in the units of millimeters per day. If the coral was no longer in the study area during the specified time interval or if more than 50 percent of the tissue had died in an earlier time interval, there is no value reported (data cell left blank). (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:-0.043
    Maximum:0.238
    Units:millimeters per day
    Palmata_growth_annualized_FL_USA.csv, Palmata_growth_annualized_FL_USA.xlsx
    These files contain attribute information for data describing the overall (for duration of the study) growth of corals of the species Acropora palmata, which were obtained from the Coral Restoration Foundation (Key Largo, Florida) and grown at five study sites on the Florida Keys reef tract from April 2018 to November 2019. Data include coral identification numbers, genetic identification label, site where they were deployed for growth, condition of coral colony at the end of the study, calcification rate per planar area per year, change in coral planar-footprint surface area per year, and change in coral height per year. To view the data in a tab-delimited format arranged by column, please use the Excel spreadsheet. (Source: USGS)
    Coral_ID
    A numeric identifier for each coral colony in the study, assigned by USGS personnel. (Source: USGS) Non-sequential, increasing numerical identifiers ranging between 500 and 999.
    Genet_ID
    A textual identifier for each genetic strain (genet) of elkhorn coral in the study, as assigned by Coral Reef Foundation (Key Largo, FL) personnel or the USGS (Dry Tortugas genet only), based upon the collection location of the original colony from which samples were taken and placed into nursery propagation. The two-letter site abbreviations are "DT" indicates Dry Tortugas, "CN" indicates Conch Reef, "SN" indicates Snapper Ledge, "CF" indicates Carysfort Reef, "HS" indicates Horseshoe Reef, and "ML" indicates Molasses Reef. GPS coordinates of original colonies are "DT1" 24 37.267 N, 82 52.050 W, "CN2" 24 57.586 N 80 27.366 W, "SN1" 24 58.891 N 80 25.330 W, "CF4" 25 12.606 N 80 13.109 W, "HS1" 25 8.397 N 80 17.675 W, "ML2" 25 0.597 N 80 22.435 W. (Source: USGS) A textual description of the geographic site where the original coral genets were collected by the Coral Restoration Foundation (not the site where the fragments were deployed).
    Site_ID
    A textual identifier of the site, assigned by locations where corals were deployed and named by USGS personnel as follows: "PLW" indicates Pulaski Shoal West (24.74667 N 83.04167 W, 12 feet of seawater (fsw)) and "PLS" indicates Pulaski Shoal Light (24 41.613 N 82 46.368 W, 16 fsw) in Dry Tortugas National Park, "SMK" indicates Sombrero Reef (24 37.612 N 81 06.536 W, 14 fsw) Sanctuary Preservation Area in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), "CRK" indicates Crocker Reef (24 54.545 N 80 31.599 W, 13 fsw) in the FKNMS, and "FWY" indicates Fowey Rocks in Biscayne National Park (25 35.425 N 80 05.736 W, 13 fsw). (Source: USGS) A textual description of the geographic site where data were collected.
    Condition
    A textual identifier assigned by USGS personnel as follows: "live" indicates that the coral gained mass and had live tissue during the entire study, "dead" indicates the coral had no live tissue remaining by the end of the study, "lost" indicates the coral was lost from the study area for reasons that do not pertain to the experimental questions. (Source: USGS) A textual identifier assigned by USGS personnel describing the condition of the coral during the study.
    Calcif_kg_m2_y
    Dry mass of calcium carbonate gained during the 18 months of the study in the units of kilograms per square meter (planar area at start of each of the three time-intervals used for normalization) per year. If the coral was no longer in the study area during the specified time interval or if more than 50 percent of the tissue had died during the study, there is no value reported (data cell left blank). (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:10.3
    Maximum:42.6
    Units:kilograms per square meter per year
    SA_cm2_y
    Change in planar-footprint surface area of the colony since the start of the study in the units of square centimeters per year. If the coral was lost from the study area or if more than 50 percent of the tissue had died, there is no value reported (data cell left blank). (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.4
    Maximum:211.0
    Units:square centimeters per year
    height_cm_y
    Change in colony height since the start of the study in the units of centimeters per year. If the coral was lost from the study area or if more than 50 percent of the tissue had died, there is no value reported (data cell left blank). (Source: USGS)
    Range of values
    Minimum:0.6
    Maximum:6.9
    Units:centimeters per year
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    FL_Palmata_photo_record.zip - This file contains time-series photographic images (JPEG) of experimental elkhorn corals deployed at five sites throughout the Florida Keys, FL, USA. The file names include the three-letter site identification code, the three-number coral identification code, and indication if the time-series is from the side or top view.
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
    The entity and attribute information were generated by the individual and/or agency identified as the originator of the dataset. Please review the rest of the metadata record for additional details and information.

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Ilsa B. Kuffner
    • Anastasios Stathakopoulos
    • Lauren T. Toth
    • Lucy A. Bartlett
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    Acknowledgment of Ilsa B. Kuffner and the U.S. Geological Survey as data sources would be appreciated in products developed from these data, and such acknowledgment as is standard for citation and legal practices for data source is expected.
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Ilsa B. Kuffner
    U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
    Research Marine Biologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    U.S.A.

    727-502-8048 (voice)
    ikuffner@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

These data were obtained to directly quantify rates of coral growth (calcification, height, and planar-area footprint) in Acropora palmata corals on the Florida Keys reef tract. The data will be used to inform resource managers of the capacity for future restoration and growth of this species on Florida Keys reefs to guide coral-reef ecosystem and species-recovery plans.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2019 (process 1 of 3)
    Acropora palmata growth: Acropora palmata coral fragments were obtained from the Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF), Key Largo, Florida, on April 24, 2018 (for Florida Keys sites) and May 6, 2018 (for Dry Tortugas sites). Fifty fragments (ten replicates each of five genets) were harvested by CRF staff at their Carysfort Reef coral nursery, transported by truck in a cooler on seawater-moistened plastic-bubble wrap, and placed in coolers or buckets with seawater and aeration overnight until they were epoxied to plastic disks. Four additional colonies were collected by USGS staff from The Nature Conservancy’s Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, coral nursery on May 8, 2019. The 54 colonies of approximately 10 to 15 square centimeter (cm2) planar-footprint area were epoxied to PVC disks fitted with stainless-steel bolts, photographed, measured with calipers (L x W x H), and weighed using the buoyant-weight method (Jokiel and others, 1978). For other detailed methods see Morrison and others (2013). The prepared corals were deployed to the field sites to grow for 18 months at Pulaski Shoal West (PLW) and Pulaski Shoal Light (PLS) in Dry Tortugas National Park, Sombrero Reef sanctuary preservation area (SMK) and Crocker Reef (CRK) in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and Fowey Rocks (FWY) in Biscayne National Park. Corals that died (defined as losing more than 50 percent of their live tissue) were not included in assessments of growth metrics (missing data are left blank). The corals were attached to preexisting concrete blocks secured to the substratum and were subsequently weighed and photographed every six months through November 2019. Calcification rates were normalized to the planar-footprint area of the colony (equivalent to canopy or "crown" area used in forestry) at the beginning of each weighing interval as determined using calipers. Person who carried out this activity:
    Ilsa B. Kuffner
    Southeast Region
    Research Marine Biologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    United States

    727-502-8048 (voice)
    ikuffner@usgs.gov
    Date: 2020 (process 2 of 3)
    Photography: The photographs of the corals were taken by USGS personnel (L. Bartlett and A. Stathakopoulos) using a Canon EOS REBEL T3i camera mounted on a tripod. The digital photographs were taken in the field of each colony with a ruler for scale. The images were subsequently used to create a time-series montage for each coral (L. Bartlett). Images were color corrected as needed and stitched together in chronological order using Adobe Photoshop CC version 20.0.9 (http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html) to adjust for light regime and enhance contrast and brightness. Additionally, text indicating the coral identification number (if not handwritten on the photo stand with red-waxed pencil), the sampling season, and year were added to each image using Photoshop. The digital images are included in the data release download file, FL_Palmata_photo_record.zip. Person who carried out this activity:
    Ilsa B. Kuffner
    Southeast Region
    Research Marine Biologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL
    United States

    727-502-8048 (voice)
    ikuffner@usgs.gov
    Date: 10-Nov-2020 (process 3 of 3)
    Added keywords section with USGS persistent identifier as theme keyword. Person who carried out this activity:
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Attn: Arnell S. Forde
    Geologist
    600 4th Street South
    St. Petersburg, FL

    (727) 502-8000 (voice)
    aforde@usgs.gov
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Jokiel, P.L., Maragos, J.E. and Franzisket, L., 1978, Coral Growth: Buoyant Weight Technique: Coral Reefs: Research Methods, Paris, France.

    Other_Citation_Details: Editors Stoddart, D.R. and Johannes, R.E., pp. 529-541
    Morrison, J.M., Kuffner, I.B., and Hickey, T.D., 2013, Coral Growth: Methods for monitoring corals and crustose coralline algae to quantify in-situ calcification rates: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, U.S.A..

    Other_Citation_Details:
    U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2013-1159, 11 p. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1159/.

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    No formal attribute accuracy tests were conducted.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    No formal positional accuracy tests were conducted.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
    No formal positional accuracy tests were conducted.
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract. Note in the photographic timeseries that coral ID number 501 was relabeled as number 557 because the bolt threads were damaged, so the coral was remounted. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    No formal logical accuracy tests were conducted.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
Public domain data from the U.S. Government are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. The U.S. Geological Survey requests to be acknowledged as originator of these data in future products or derivative research.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    Ilsa B. Kuffner
    U.S. Geological Survey
    600 4th Street South
    Saint Petersburg, FL
    U.S.A.

    727-502-8048 (voice)
    ikuffner@usgs.gov
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    This publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution imply any such warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and (or) contained herein. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof.
  4. How can I download or order the data?

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 10-Nov-2020
Metadata author:
Ilsa B. Kuffner
U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Research Marine Biologist
600 4th Street South
St. Petersburg, FL
U.S.A.

727-502-8048 (voice)
ikuffner@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
This page is <https://cmgds.marine.usgs.gov/catalog/spcmsc/Palmata_growth_FL_USA_metadata.faq.html>
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