Shipwreck Ecology
Description
This dataset compiles ecological and environmental parameters from five shipwrecks around Mauritius to assess their ecological performance as artificial reefs. The data include fish biomass, density, trophic group biomass and density, coral and benthic composition, and associated environmental variables (temperature, light, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and chlorophyll-a). Measurements were collected through standardized underwater surveys and laboratory analyses in 2025. The dataset supports quantitative assessment of how environmental and structural factors influence coral and fish assemblage performance on shipwrecks. Results are expressed as site-level means (± standard error) and include derived Optimal Ecological Performance Thresholds (OEPT) based on quartile binning of environmental predictors associated with high fish biomass and coral cover. The dataset can be directly analyzed for relationships between environmental parameters and ecological performance metrics, replicated in R/Python statistical environments, or integrated into meta-analyses of artificial reef performance. Researchers can also use the OEPT thresholds as ecological benchmarks for evaluating or planning future artificial reef deployments.
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The methodology combined established reef survey techniques with wreck-specific adaptations to account for structural variability. Fish assemblages were surveyed using underwater visual census along 2 m × 1.5 m belt transects placed perpendicular to the wreck’s long axis. Larger wrecks (> 20 m) had five to six transects spaced 4–6 m apart, while smaller wrecks (< 20 m) had three to four transects spaced 3–4 m apart. Vertical hulls and overhangs were sampled separately using additional hull-edge transects to capture cryptic assemblages. Fish total length was estimated visually, converted to biomass (g m⁻²) using the length–weight relationship 𝑊 = 𝑎 𝐿 𝑏 W=aL b , and assigned to trophic guilds following established regional frameworks. Juveniles were identified using length-at-first-maturity (Lₘ) from FishBase. Benthic composition was quantified using the Line Intercept Transect (LIT) method along the same transects for direct comparability. Environmental parameters were measured in situ using HOBO Pendant® temperature/light loggers and handheld probes for dissolved oxygen, salinity, and pH. Nutrient concentrations (nitrate, phosphate, silicate) were analyzed following Strickland & Parsons (1972), and chlorophyll-a concentrations following Jeffrey & Humphrey (1975). Statistical analyses included ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis tests, PCoA, PERMANOVA, and Linear Mixed Models to identify significant drivers of fish biomass and coral cover. Quartile binning and interquartile-range (IQR) analyses were used to derive OEPTs.
Institutions
- University of MauritiusMoka, Reduit