Data from: Restoring marine ecosystems: spatial reef configuration triggers taxon-specific responses among early colonizers ...

• Main Authors: Wilms, Tim J. G., Norðfoss, Pauli H., Baktoft, Henrik, Støttrup, Josianne G., Kruse, Bo M., Svendsen, Jon C.
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2021
• Subjects: FOS Natural sciences; BACI design; Bayesian hierarchical models; reef restoration; remote underwater video systems; SLOSS; Baltic Sea; substrate availability; Atlantic cod; rocky reefs; top-down control; atlantic cod
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vt4b8gtq8; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.vt4b8gtq8

1. The longstanding debate in conservation biology on the importance of single large or several small (SLOSS) habitats for preserving biodiversity remains highly relevant, given the ongoing degradation and loss of natural habitats worldwide. Restoration efforts are often constrained by limited resources, and insights from SLOSS studies therefore have important implications if restoration efforts can be optimized by manipulating the spatial configuration of restored habitats. Yet, the relevance of SLOSS for habitat restoration remains largely unexplored. 2. Here, we report the effects of spatial reef configuration on early colonization of marine organisms after restoring boulder reef habitats. Reefs were restored in single large (SL) and several small (SS) designs in the western Baltic Sea, where century-long boulder extraction has severely degraded large reef areas and likely exacerbated regional declines in commercially important gadoids (Gadidae spp.). We sampled the field sites using remote underwater ... : The data used in this study were collected with use of remote underwater video systems (RUVS). Specifically, these systems included a mono-camera setup (using GoPro Hero 3, 3+ and 4) attached to a timer (Time Lapse Intervalometer or BlinkX; Cam Do Solutions; https://cam-do.com) to trigger the camera to record two-minute hourly video clips. Video clips were analyzed in VLC Media Player (https://videolan.org) with adjusted video filters to attain natural coloration and increased brightness if necessary (mostly for twilight recordings). No artificial light sources were used with the video systems and all night sequences were hence discarded. ...