Table 1. Environmental predictor variables included in the boosted regression tree analysis.
Variable Name | Source | Units | Range |
Moon phase | calculation from date | days from new | 0–29 |
Time of Day | Index from sequential dive # | # | 1–6 |
Temperature | in situ (SBE39) | °C | 23.43–30.35 |
Wave Energy | calculation from NOAA WW32 | kW/m | 13.76–517.99 |
Depth | in situ (SBE39) | m | 1.6–26.5 |
Distance to 50 m contour | NOAA PIBHMC3 bathymetry | m | 1–500 |
Quadrant | calculation | categorical | NE, SE, SW, NW |
Human Population/Reef Area | Calculation (2000 US Census) | #/km2 | 0–2445 |
Complexity | benthic towed-diver visual estimate | index | 0–6 |
Reef Structure | NOAA BHM (Benthic Habitat Maps)4 | categorical | Reef, Sand, etc |
Benthic Cover | NOAA BHM4 | categorical | Coral, Algae, etc |
% Cover – Coral | benthic towed-diver visual estimate | % | 0–68.8 |
% Cover – Macroalgae | benthic towed-diver visual estimate | % | 0–87.5 |
% Cover – Crustose coralline algae | benthic towed-diver visual estimate | % | 0–68.75 |
% Cover – Sand | benthic towed-diver visual estimate | % | 8.0–87.5 |
% Cover – Rubble | benthic towed-diver visual estimate | % | 0–56.3 |
Variety of Cover Types | Calculation from BHM4 data | # | 1–4 |
Variety of Structure Types | Calculation from BHM4 data | # | 1–4 |
Pathfinder satellite data - http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/SatelliteData/pathfinder4km/.
NOAA WaveWatch 3 - http://polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html.
Pacific Islands Benthic Habitat Mapping Center - http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/pibhmc.
NOAA Benthic Habitat Maps - http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/ecosystems/coralreef/us_pac_mapping.html.