Fauna abundance per unit area of the bed; Zooplankton and zoobenthos physiological condition parameters; Zoobenthos generic abundance

This dataset provides carbonate budget assessments of shallow-water reefs in the Mexican Caribbean following the 2023 heat wave. Measurements of benthic cover, coral mortality, and the abundance of carbonate producers and bioeroders (parrotfish, urchins, endolithic sponges) were collected between late 2023 and mid-2024 using the ReefBudget protocol with transect and belt survey methods. Calcification and bioerosion rates were derived from published species-specific parameters and ReefBudget models to produce site-level estimates of gross production, erosion, and net carbonate budgets (kg CaCO₃ m⁻² yr⁻¹). Data were quality controlled following ReefBudget guidelines and comparison with 2017–2019 baselines, though observer variability and the resolution of transect methods remain limitations. The dataset is arranged as synoptic site-based summaries, covering approximately 69 reef sites surveyed over an eight-month period. Data were jointly collected by the University of Exeter (UK) and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

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