MCR LTER: Coral Reefs: Coral recruitment to 25 m2 plots on the forereef surrounding Moorea, French Polynesia, 2011-2015

These data report the number of Pocilloporid, Acroporid and Poritiid corals recruiting annually to permanent 5 m X 5 m plots established at a depth of approximately 10 m on the forereef of Moorea, French Polynesia. Plots were established following an outbreak (2007-2010) of the corallivorous crown-of-thorns seastars (Acanthaster planci) and the close passage of Cyclone Oli to Moorea in February, 2010. These two perturbations resulted in a significant loss of live coral coral from the forereef on an island-wide scale (crown-of-thorns) and the loss of habitat structural complexity from forereef habitats on Moorea's north shore (Cyclone Oli). See Adam, T.C. et al. 2011 "Herbivory, connectivity and ecosystem resilience: response of a coral reef to a large-scale perturbation" PLoS One e23717 for a more complete description of the system, the nature and magnitudes of the perturbations and the short-term response by the coral community to the perturbations. Data were obtained by counting all Pocilloporid, Acroporid and Poritiid coral recruits < 3 cm in colony diameter observed within 25 5 m x 5 m plots established at four sites in a depth of approximately 10 m on the forereef of Moorea, French Polynesia. Two sites, Resilience 1 (R1) containing five 5 m x 5 m plots and Resilience 2 (R2) containing ten 5 m x 5 m plots were established along the north shore of the island. Two additional sites, Resilience 4 (R4) and Resilience 5 (R5), each containing five 5 m x 5 m plots were established on the southeast and southwest shores of the island, respectively. The locations of the plots are permanently marked using stainless steel eye-bolts cemented into the reef matrix so that counts of coral recruits can be made repeatedly within the same plots on an annual basis. This dataset, knb-lter-mcr.5023, is a subset of a larger dataset, knb-lter-mcr.7008, and has been produced in support of a manuscript submission. The parent dataset, knb-lter-mcr.7008, contains additional data on the numb