DOI: 10.5061/dryad.7nq2jb0
title: Data from: Fishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals

description: Mutualisms play a critical role in ecological communities, however the
 importance and prevalence of mutualistic associations can be modified by
 external stressors. On coral reefs, elevated sediments are a major
 stressor, reducing the health of corals and damaging reef resilience.
 Here, we investigated the influence of sediment stress on the mutualistic
 relationship between small damselfishes (Dascyllus aruanus and Pomacentrus
 moluccensis) and their coral host (Pocillopora damicornis). In an aquaria
 experiment, corals were exposed to sedimentation rates of ~100 mg cm-2
 day-1, with and without symbiont fish to test whether: (1) fishes
 influence the accumulation of sediments on coral hosts, and (2) fishes
 moderate partial colony mortality and/or condition. Colonies with fishes
 accumulated much less sediment compared to colonies without fishes, and
 this effect was strongest for colonies with D. aruanus (five-fold less
 sediment than controls) as opposed to P. moluccensis (two-fold less
 sediment than controls). Colonies with symbiont fishes also had up to
 10-fold less sediment-induced partial mortality, as well as higher
 chlorophyll and protein concentrations. These results demonstrate that
 fish mutualisms vary in the strength of their benefits and indicates that
 some mutualistic or facilitative interactions might become more important
 for species health and resilience as stress levels increase.
description: Partial colony mortality
 values for corals in the sediment aquaria experiment The
 "colonymortality.csv" data file includes the proportion of the
 whole colony, P. damicornis, partial mortality at the end of the sediment
 experiment (28 days treatment exposure). For every coral colony, the
 sediment and fish treatments are listed, as well as the proportion of
 colony mortality (propmortality), at the "END" of the
 experiment. Note that a very small constant (0.001) was added to every
 colony's proportion mortality, to allow for analysis using a beta
 regression model (binomial distribution, bounded between 0 and
 1). colonymortality.csv
 
 Tissue values
 (protein and tissue biomass) sediment aquaria experiment
 The
 "sedaqu.csv" datafile contains the proportion of colony
 mortality (whole colony) and tissue components of total proteins
 (protein), and tissue biomass (afdw) of the sample P. damicornis fragments
 sampled at the beginning ("START" - day 0 after a week of
 acclimation) and "END" (28 days of treatment exposure) of the
 sediment experiment in aquaria. For every coral, the phase of the
 experiment and sediment and fish treatments are listed. All values in the
 protein and afdw data are expressed per cm2 of surface area.
 sedaqu.csv
 
 Chlorophyll
 tissue components and values for sediment aquaria experiment
 The
 "sedchl.csv" datafile contains the data on the total chlorophyll
 (A and C2) of the sample P. damicornis fragments sampled at the beginning
 ("START" - day 0 after a week of acclimation) and
 "END" (28 days of treatment exposure) of the sediment experiment
 in aquaria. For every coral, the phase of the experiment and sediment and
 fish treatments are listed. All values in the chlorophyll data are
 expressed per cm2 of surface area. Additional information regarding the
 different chlorophyll components (A and C2) are included in the data
 sheet. sedchl.csv
 
 Supplementary
 data on Sediment Traps The
 "sedtrapsgrain.csv" data file contains supplementary data on the
 total sediment and sediment grain sizes (small (&lt;125 µm), medium
 (125-500 µm), and large (500-4000 µm) collected from 6 sites around the
 Palm Islands, QLD, using sediment traps (simple tube traps).
 sedtrapsgrain.csv
 
 Supplementary
 data on Vacuum collected sediments The
 "vacuumseds.csv" data file contains supplementary data on the
 total sediment collected from 4 sites around the Palm Islands, QLD, using
 a submersable sediment vacuum. vacuumseds.csv
 
 Supplementary
 data on suspended sediment in the sediment aquaria experiment
 The
 "suspendedsediment_aquaria.csv" data file contains supplementary
 data on the suspended sediment collected 5 cm above a subset of sample P.
 damicornis colonies in the sediment aquaria experiment. These samples
 (~45-50ml) were collected 1 hour after daily sediment addition using a
 syringe. suspendedsediment_aquaria.csv Damselfish position around host coral colonies in the sediment aquaria experiment The "fishpositionaquaria.cvs" data file contains data regarding the diurnal and nocturnal positions of the two damselfish species, Dascyllus aruanus and Pomacentrus moluccensis, during the sediment aquaria experiment. The position of each fish during spot checks are listed in the data file and these positions converted to proportions are also listed on the data file. fishpositionaquaria.csv Sediment on coral in the sediment aquaria experiment The "coralsed.csv" data file contains data on the total sediment and sediment grain sizes (small (&lt;125 µm), medium (125-500 µm), and large (500-4000 µm) collected from the coral colonies in the sediment aquaria experiment, after 28 days of treatment exposure. The sediment and fish treatments are listed for every coral colony. coralsed.csv Tissue values (protein and tissue biomass) sediment aquaria experiment The "sedaqu.csv" datafile contains the proportion of colony mortality (whole colony) and tissue components of total proteins (protein), and tissue biomass (afdw) of the sample P. damicornis fragments sampled at the beginning ("START" - day 0 after a week of acclimation) and "END" (28 days of treatment exposure) of the sediment experiment in aquaria. For every coral, the phase of the experiment and sediment and fish treatments are listed. All values in the protein and afdw data are expressed per cm2 of surface area. sedaqu.csv
description: Datasets were collected through a combination of field and
 aquaria experiments on fish behaviour and coral physiology.