Table 1. Description of Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) indicating number of sites sampled per LME's and general characteristics.

LMEs	Abb.	Sites	Replicates per site	Ocean	Countries	Bottom type
Gulf of Alaska	GoA	11	5	Pacific	USA, Canada	Bedrock, Sandstone and Boulders
Agulhas Current	AgC	7	10	Indian	South Africa	Boulders and Sandstone
Celtic-Biscay Shelf	CBS	2	5	Atlantic	England	Bedrock
Northeast U.S Continental Shelf	NCS	2	5	Atlantic	USA, Canada	Cobbles and Bedrock
Caribbean Sea	CbS	29	10	Atlantic	Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago	Bedrock
Benguela Current	BgC	7	10	Atlantic	South Africa	Boulders, Sandstone and Rocky reef
Mediterranean Sea	MdS	3	5	Mediterranean Sea	Italy	Bedrock and Sandstone
Scotian Shelf	StS	1	5	Atlantic	Canada	Cobbles
South China Sea	SCS	1	3	Pacific	Vietnam	Bedrock
Patagonian Shelf	PaS	5	10	Atlantic	Argentina	Bedrock
Kuroshio Current	KuC	1	5	Pacific	Japan	Bedrock
South Brazil Shelf	SBS	1	5	Atlantic	Brazil	Bedrock
Gulf of California	GoC	2	5	Pacific	Mexico	Loose boulders

Abb  =  Abbreviation code for LMEs, SST  =  Sea Surface Temperature.