Long-term monitoring dataset of fish assemblages in rocky tidepools on the southern coast of Taiwan.

Long-term data of fish assemblages collected in the rocky intertidal zone provides a valuable resource for elucidating the temporal variations in species diversity and intertidal ecosystems. In this study, we describe a long-term time-series dataset of fish collected by counting the number of anesthetized fish at sampling stations in the rocky tidepools on the southern coast of Taiwan. The species assemblages were monitored seasonally at the two stations for 16 y (2000-2008 and 2012-2018). In total, 86 samples containing 5137 individuals belonging to 82 species were recorded. Our data can be used for elucidating the temporal variations in fish assemblages and intertidal ecosystems and as background information for the resilience of the fish community conservation in coastal areas. The current study presents valuable data for researchers to understand the temporal and spatial variations in species abundance, richness, diversity, and composition in relation to climate change, environmental factors, and human activities.

A long-term monitoring dataset of fish assemblages in rocky tidepools on the northern coast of Taiwan.

The assemblage of fish species in the rocky intertidal zone is highly affected by the destructive impact of human activities and has an extended impact on land-sea interactions. There are a few long-term research projects that have focused on rocky intertidal ecosystems, especially on the resident fish community. Here, we describe a long-term time series dataset of fish collected by counting the number of anesthetized fishes at sampling stations in rocky tidepools in the intertidal zones on the northern coast of Taiwan. The species assemblages were monitored seasonally at three stations from 1999 to 2018. In total, 144 samples containing 1,577 individuals belonging to 106 species were recorded in the surveys. The resulting data can be used as background information for conservation and resilience studies of the fish community in coastal areas and to establish reasonable conservation strategies. This study presents valuable data to ecologists and fisheries biologists interested in understanding the temporal patterns of species abundance, richness, and composition in relation to environmental factors, climate change, and anthropogenic pressures.