Data: Extreme marine heatwave linked to mass fish kill in the Red Sea

Description

This data includes the survey data from visual beach transects across multiple beaches impacted and unimpacted by a mass fish mortality event. This event occurred in the Ar Rayis region south of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia in late August 2023. Local officials reported large numbers of dead fishes and cuttlefishes washing ashore, which prompted a response to survey these areas. This data includes counts of cuttle bones and counts of dead fishes that had washed ashore at 8 sites within the ~60km of impacted area and 5 unimpacted sites outside of the impacted area.

Steps to reproduce

To reproduce this data, one would need to reproduce the methodology at a similar mass (fish) mortality event. To do this, one should follow our methodology which included 6x50m transects were laid parallel to the high tide line and all fishes counted, and identified and measured (when possible) within a 10m belt at each site. We replicated sites both inside and outside of an impacted area with high reported fish mortality. For further questions about methodology, please contact Matthew Tietbohl.

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