National Coral Reef Monitoring Program: Calcification rates of crustose coralline algae derived from calcification accretion units (CAUs) deployed across the Pacific Remote Island Areas

The calcification rate data in this collection are from Calcification Accretion Units (CAUs) that have been retrieved and replaced at existing, long-term monitoring sites during NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Program (CREP) led NCRMP missions, in accordance with protocols developed by Price et al. 2012. There are typically (but not always) five CAU sites established at each location CREP visits, with five units deployed at each site.

This study provides information about spatial patterns of algal calcification and accretion rates and serves as a basis for detecting changes associated with changing seawater chemistry due to ocean acidification. In conjunction with benthic community composition data (archived separately), the calcification rates will aid in determining the magnitude of how ocean acidification affects coral reefs in the natural environment.