Photosynthetically active ratiation (PAR) data at Shell Island from April 2016 and October 2016

Abiotic data were collected to assess the environmental conditions that coincided with the 2016 mass bleaching event documented at Shell island (Shenton Bluff), Cygnet Bay, Kimberley region, northwestern Australia. Photosynthetically active irradiance (PAR) was recorded in both the intertidal and subtidal reef zone. Downwelling planar PAR was measured at each zone for a few days over a spring tide at three time periods in 2016 (12–17 January, 6–8 and 10–12 April, 17–20 October) using Odyssey light loggers. No light data are available from January 2016 due to the logger malfunctioning. Each of the Odyssey loggers was calibrated under water against a factory-calibrated LiCor PAR sensor. All loggers were deployed on tripods ~20 cm above the benthos.