Eastern Tropical Pacific Coral Reefs Resilience to El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events from 2016-04-18 to 2018-08-17 (NCEI Accession 0191126)

Physical parameters and coral response data were used to assess coral reef resilience off the Eastern Pacific coast after the 2014-2015 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. Data contained in this package consist of benthic temperature data, benthic cover data and qPCR analysis collected from several coral reefs within the Gulf of Panama and Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis of 131 colonies of Pocillopora spp. were sampled to understand patterns of algal symbiont communities. All samples were collected from the tops of the colonies by clipping ~1cm from the branch tip. A small sample was immediately preserved in 95 % ethanol for genetic analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted using the organic extraction protocol used by (Rowan and Powers 1991). The symbiont to host cell ratio was used to estimate symbiont abundance by targeting the actin gene in Pocillopora and its symbionts in the genus Cladocopium and Durusdinium (Mieog et al. 2009; Cunning and Baker 2013). Benthic temperature data was collected using temperature probes affixed 10-20cm above the benthic substrate with plastic cable ties that were permanently staked to rebar. Probes were set to record at half hour intervals. Two probes at each location were used to record temperature, one probe was set to record at half hour intervals on the hour and the second probe recorded on the 15- and 45-minute intervals. The data were then visually inspected for unusual deviations, data taken out of emplacement during deployment or retrieval were snipped from the record by visual inspection of the data. Then the records from both probes were combined into a single CSV file to give benthic temperature data records every 15min. Lastly, benthic cover surveys using the Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) survey methodology were performed at the same locations where temperature and qPCR analysis were collected.