Methods
We surveyed coral reefs on the north coast of Iriomote, Okinawa, Japan
over four years (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022), with a gap in data
collection due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Due to challenges posed
by post-covid field work, we sampled substantially less reefs in 2022
than prior years (Supporting information), and have accounted for this
unbalance in our analyses. The surveys were conducted across three
sites: Nata (24°25’40.1”N, 123°47’41.6”E), Sonai (24°22’53.0”N,
123°44’51.7”E), and Unarizaki (24°25’38.3”N, 123°45’49.3”E). Between the
2016 and 2017 surveys, the reef experienced extensive coral bleaching,
with a subsequent decline of live coral[9].