Coral bleaching and nutrient responses to elevated temperature and nutrient exposure, Laamu Atoll, Maldives, 2022-2024

The data consist of coral bleaching data; coral elemental and isotopic data (of coral host tissue and algal symbionts); coral metric data (size and depth of coral colonies used in experiment); water nutrient data collected next to corals over the experimental period; diffuser weights of fertiliser bags (to help calculate diffusion rates of fertiliser loss) and temperature data (recorded over the experimental windows in-situ and using satellite data).

This dataset contains in-situ experimental information relating two separate nutrient enrichment experiments that were conducted over January - June 2022 and January 2023 - July 2024. The experiments were designed to understand the in-situ bleaching and nutrients responses of corals (Pocillopora spp.) to the interactive effect of elevated temperatures and elevated nutrient concentrations relative to controls. Slow-release agricultural fertilisers were used to elevate local concentrations. In 2022, two types of fertilisers were used (High N = 18-9-10 NPK or High P = 13-13-13 NPK). In 2023-24, the same fertiliser was used (24-7-14 NPK) but at two quantities, medium-N (50-75 g of fertiliser) and high-N (150-200 g of fertiliser) to better understand thresholds. Both experiments were conducted on lagoonal patch reefs in Laamu atoll, Maldives.

The work has been undertaken has been funded by the GCRF-UKRI South Asian Nitrogen Hub and enabled through the University of Edinburgh and Maldivian non-governmental organisation, Maldives Resilient Reefs.