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Table 3 Definitions of spatial scale and temporal scale terminology to be used in this study (adapted from Estes et al. [6])

From: Spatial and temporal scales of coral reef fish ecological research and management: a systematic map protocol

SPATIAL scale terminology

Definition

TEMPORAL scale terminology

Definition

Sampling resolution

Area of an individual spatial replicate. The finest scale at which a complete measurement of every unit of the quantity of interest is recorded

Sampling duration

How long it took to make one observation of the phenomenon in question, at a given point in space

Observational interval

The time that elapsed between repeated observations of the same point in space or individual organism

Actual extent

The summed area of all spatial replicates (calculated by multiplying the sampling resolution by the number of spatial replicates)

Actual duration

Summed observational time of all temporal replicates (calculated by multiplying the sampling duration by the number of repeat observations)

Total extent

The total area enclosed within a perimeter defined by the outermost spatial replicates

Total duration

The total period of time over which the phenomenon of interest was observed (between the first and last temporal replicate)