Vogetrader Long-Term Monitoring 12 years After Impact: a collection of benthic data and imagery collected to evaluate reef recovery and the efficacy of restoration efforts at the M/V VogeTrader grounding site in O'ahu, Hawaii

On February 5, 2010, the cargo vessel M/V Vogetrader ran aground a shallow forereef in Oahu, Hawaii. In response to the loss of natural resources, three restoration techniques were implemented in 2013: coral outplanting, rubble removal, and passive restoration. In November 2022, monitoring surveys were conducted across three injury zones and nearby reference sites to assess recovery trajectories and compare the efficacy of the restoration efforts. Data collected before restoration during the initial damage assessment in 2010 is also included in the datasets described in this metadata record to improve usability and access for future datasets.

There are 6 datasets described in this metadata record:

Two datasets including 2010 and 2022 data for (1) coral size for identified taxa at the Vogetrader impact and reference sites across zone, habitat type, and quadrat replicate; and (2) coral abundance for identified taxa at the Vogetrader impact and reference sites across zone, habitat type, and quadrat replicate.

Four datasets of only 2022 data:(1) coral outplant assessment of species, size, and extent of partial mortality ; (2) juvenile coral density and settlement on rubble across varying sites of impact; (3) raw annotations of photoquadrat imagery for analysis of benthic/rubble cover across varying sites of impact; (4) photoquadrat imagery across varying sites of impact

Data was collected by NOAA's PIFSC Ecosystems Science Division. Funding was provided by PIRO and Hawaii's Division of Aquatic Resources. These data were gathered at the vessel grounding site located on the southern channel entrance to Barbers Point Harbor at a depth of 10 to 14m.

Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) and control-impact survey designs included 10 quadrat replicates for all habitat types of the impact and reference sites. 'Before' refers to 2010, and 'After' refers to 2022. Within each quadrat, divers recorded coral species, maximum diameter, juvenile coral density, and the number of juvenile corals attached to unconsolidated reef framework. To evaluate benthic cover, a traditional National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) protocol was followed; digital photoquadrat images were taken along transect lines at each site. These images were annotated with the web tool CoralNet; ten images were randomly selected per site, overlaid with ten random points, and annotated as either rubble or non-rubble substrate. The assessment of coral outplants included recording species, maximum diameter, and the extent of partial mortality for all outplants relocated in the field.

The publication produced with the datasets described on this record: Morris JT, Huntington B, Couch C. et al 2024. Long-term outcomes of passive and active restoration approaches following a vessel grounding in Hawaii, USA Coral Reefs. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02529-1