Marine biologists studied the relationship between environmental conditions and coral reef biodiversity at 24 reef sites across the Pacific Ocean. At each site, researchers measured water temperature, pH (acidity), and light penetration depth. They also conducted biodiversity assessments by counting the number of distinct coral species and the number of fish species observed in standardized transects.
Figure 1 shows the relationship between average water temperature and the number of coral species at each reef site.
Figure 2 compares the number of fish species observed across three reef regions at two different depth zones.
Table 1 summarizes the environmental conditions measured at each reef region.
| Region | Avg Temp (°C) | Avg pH | Light Penetration (m) | Coral Cover (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern | 24.2 | 8.15 | 18.5 | 35 |
| Central | 26.4 | 8.21 | 22.0 | 62 |
| Southern | 28.8 | 8.08 | 15.2 | 28 |
The study was conducted over a 3-year period (2019–2022) to account for seasonal variations. All measurements were taken during the same two-week window in early summer each year.