Use of multivariate control charts to assess the status of reef fish assemblages in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

A novel application of multivariate control charts reveals that reef fish assemblages in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), part of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, have remained largely stable over time. However, notable exceptions were detected in 2012 and 2015 at sites in the south region (Nihoa, Mokumanamana, and French Frigate Shoals), where changes in native species abundances exceeded statistical thresholds. These shifts may be linked to low survey site density and limited coral cover, particularly in 2015. The study demonstrates that multivariate control charts, leveraging bootstrapping techniques on species composition data, can effectively monitor large protected areas for ecological disturbances. Future monitoring should incorporate habitat or environmental variables to investigate potential causes when alarms are triggered.

Fukunaga, A., & Kosaki, R. K. (2017). Use of multivariate control charts to assess the status of reef fish assemblages in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. PeerJ, 5, e3651. Portico. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3651