The abundance of macroinvertebrates associated with 28 experimental artificial reefs supporting different patch sizes and density of kelp (Ecklonia radiata) off Maria Island, Tasmania. Macroinvertebrates were assessed by diver-based visual census conducted between November 2015 and December 2016. This data was collected to examine how the patch size and density of kelp influences the establishment of macroinvertebrate assemblages.

The recruitment of mussels and microphytobenthic (MPB) algae to 28 experimental artificial reefs supporting different patch sizes and density of kelp (Ecklonia radiata) off Maria Island, Tasmania. The recruitment of mussels was assessed using rope fibre habitats, and the recruitment of MPB algae was assessed using microscope slides, positioned across the artificial reef and collected in November 2015. These data were collected to examine how the patch size and density of kelp influences the establishment of MPB algae and mussels.

This data set consists of a scored time-series of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) images from the Bicheno region on the east coast of Tasmania. Surveys were conducted between 2011 and 2016 within the Governor Island Marine Reserve and nearby sites outside the reserve. Governor Island was surveyed in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2016. The outside sites of Trap Reef, Cape Lodi and Butlers Point were surveyed in 2011, 2013 and 2016. Imagery across all surveys was scored for the presence of Centrostephanus rodgersii urchin barrens across rocky reef at each site. Prior to analysis the data was subsetted to every fifth image to avoid overlapping images. The data set also contains depth information for each image and a measure of rugosity (Vector Rugosity Measure) computed in ArcGIS software from a one metre resolution bathymetric map covering the survey sites. Analysis was conducted to examine the trend in the presence of barrens through time and to compare the occurrence of barrens inside the Governor Island Marine Reserve with sites outside the reserve. A spatio-temporal model incorporating both spatial and temporal correlation in the time-series of data was used. This data set contains the scored data used in the analysis. Further details of the methods used and results are contained in the following article. Please cite any use of the data or code by citing this article: Perkins NR, Hosack GR, Foster SD, Monk J, Barrett NS (2020) Monitoring the resilience of a no-take marine reserve to a range extending species using benthic imagery. PLOS ONE 15(8): e0237257. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237257