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].