This document summarises the ground-truth evidence available for each survey site. It does not include sonar data (depth, E1, E2). Three data sources are presented: (1) photoquadrat point counts, reporting the dominant cover and its percentage; (2) grain size analysis, reporting the Folk (1954) sediment class; and (3) substrate assessments, recorded at all sites.
Notes:
In the dominant photoquadrat substrate column, seagrass and macroalgae are grouped as vegetation, and hard coral and soft coral as coral, as shown in the figures: groundtruth_composite_figure.png and sonar_photoquadrat_scatter_matrix.png.
Substrate assessments are complementary to photoquadrat data and document what lies beneath or alongside the dominant visual cover. A site showing seagrass in the photoquadrat and sediment in the assessment simply means seagrass growing on sediment.
The hardbottom flag is applied to any site whose substrate assessment indicates structural hardbottom beneath sediment or biological cover.
The mud flag is applied to any site whose substrate assessment clearly indicates 'mud' (including 'light mud' and 'dark mud'). Although qualitative, mud was identified with high confidence: hand texture revealed a distinct tactile difference between pure mud sites and sites with mixed sediment.
The mangrove peat flag is applied to any site whose substrate assessment indicates organic mangrove peat co-occurring with mud.
Where no grain size analysis was collected, the sediment classification from the substrate assessment is qualitative and should be treated as approximate. Grain size analysis is recommended for a more precise classification.
Hardbottom sites without grain size data reflect a sampling limitation: sediment collection was not possible due to the hardness of the substrate.
Available Not availablehardbottom Substrate assessment indicates structural hardbottom beneath sediment/biotamud Substrate assessment confirmed as pure mud by hand texturemangrove peat Organic mangrove peat with mud