Two types of data sets generated by our project: species inventories and quantitative counts of key organisms. The species inventories are a compilation of data collected by Chela Zabin of the Department of Zoology of the University of Hawaii in 2001 and by Zabin with the assistance of Erin Baumgartner's 9th grade Marine Science class at the Education Laboratory School in 2003, 2004 and 2005, through a National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellowship. Each site was visited only once each year: by 50 students in 2003 and by 25 students in 2004 and 2005.

Shore-based belt and habitat quadrats were surveyed using transects at 1 to ~5 m depths at a total seven (7) sites: at (1-2) 2 longshore sites on the leeward coast (South Kohala district) of the Big Island (Hawaii Island) in the MHI during spring 2006 and spring-summer 2007 (spring 2007 only for predator belt transects); (3) at 1 site-group comprising multiple patch reefs located throughout north, central and south Kaneohe Bay, windward Oahu in the MHI during spring 2007; (4-5) at 2 longshore sites on the back reef of Midway Atoll in the NWHI during spring 2006 and spring-summer 2007; and (6-7) at 2 site-groups comprising multiple patch reefs within the Welles Harbor region of the lagoon of Midway Atoll during spring-summer 2007. For predator reef fish surveys, from 12-20 randomly positioned transects were surveyed at each site or site-group in a given year. Raw survey data consist of species-specific and size-specific numerical counts of large juvenile and adult stages of PREDATOR reef fishes encountered within transect boundaries. For recruit reef fish surveys, from 12-25 randomly positioned transects were surveyed at each site or site-group in a given year. Raw survey data consist of species-specific and size-specific numerical counts of recruit reef fishes encountered within transect boundaries. Quadrat surveys consisted of two types: "Reference" quadrats (whose positions were randomly selected) and "Target" quadrats (positions centered on sightings of recruit fishes). In each quadrat, the benthic cover of each of ten (10) major substratum types were estimated, as was a "Rugosity Index" based on the ratio of conforming-to-straight line distances along both major axes of the quadrat.

Dataset contains reef fish species, count, and abundance data from sites located throughout the Eastern coastline of Hawaii Island. Fish data are derived from fish and habitat utilization surveys (FAHU) conducted by Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources divers. FAHU surveys were conducted between December 2022 to October 2023. Fishes were visually identified to a species level when possible, and were then counted and sized (fork length in centimeters). A GPS attached to the dive float was used to determine the location of each transect. Coordinates continuously logged by the GPS correspond to the start and end times of each survey. The FAHU method uses stratified random sampling, where transects are randomly placed within four types of hard-bottom benthic habitats found in East Hawaii. Each FAHU transect consists of a paired fish and benthic survey, where one diver is responsible for the fish survey while the other diver conducts the benthic survey. The fish surveyor lays out the 25m long transect while recording all fish species observed within 2.5m swath on both sides of the transect line. This results in a 5m wide x 25m long surveyed area. The fish surveyor spends between 10-15 minutes counting fish to allow for fast moving and cryptic species to be recorded in the survey.