Biogeochemical and microbial parameters collected during spatial surveys on a coral reef at Mo'orea's North Shore (French Polynesia) in September 2017, May 2019, and April 2022

Abstract

This data includes biogeochemical and microbial parameters collected during spatial surveys on a coral reef at Mo'orea's North Shore (French Polynesia). Sampling took place in September 2017, May 2019, and April 2022. In 2019 and 2022, samples were also collected across three midday Lagrangian transect deployments, following water flowing linearly from ocean-facing forereefs over a reef crest to backreef lagoons. A variety of methods were used including colorimetric detection of inorganic nutrients, high-temperature combustion/oxidation, or chemical oxidation for the analysis of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon and nitrogen (POC and PON) concentrations, isotope ratio mass spectrometry for determining stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of particulate organic matter (POM), scanning excitation-emissions fluorescence measurements of whole seawater to quantify fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM), flow cytometry-based cell counts to quantify bacterial abundance, and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry to identify individual chemical features within marine DOM. These data help to quantify how biogeochemical parameters change in this region of the reef as open ocean waters flow onto the reef, over the reef, and then mix with waters in the bay. This work helps us to better identify external nutrients to the reef and how reef organisms modify and cycle carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus over the reef. The results may be of use to physical, chemical, and biological oceanographers who study tropical reef systems and could inform other studies in the region including those conducted as part of the Mo'orea Coral Reef (MCR) Long Term Ecology Research (LTER) program. The samples were collected, measured (for a subset as noted below), and analyzed primarily by members of Lihini Aluwihare's group.

For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/942884