Dataset: Epibenthic faunal densities sampled from within Artificial Seagrass Units (ASU) in Back Sound, NC from June to October 2018

From June to October 2018, epibenthic faunae (primarily juvenile) were sampled on Oscar Shoal and an adjacent unnamed shoal in Back Sound, NC, USA (34°42′20" N to 34°41′60" N, 76°36′ 15" W to 76°35′17" W) with baited (approximately 8 pieces of dry dog food, Able et al., 2015) Gee-style minnow traps (41-centimeters long, 22-centimeters wide, 0.3-centimeter galvanized mesh-wire cylinders, with 4-centimeter diameter funneled openings). One trap was deployed within the largest patch of each landscape on nine occasions and at each of two of the matrix locations on four occasions. Each minnow trap deployment lasted 24 hours, at which time all faunae were enumerated, identified to the lowest taxonomical level possible, and released.

Known Issues:
The study area and artificial landscapes were directly impacted by Hurricane Florence during 13-16 Sept 2018. Despite ASU re-enforcements made prior to Florence's landfall (i.e., additional lawn staples and cable ties), our landscapes experienced substantial disturbance akin to natural seagrasses in the vicinity, in many cases completely removing or burying ASUs which altered the landscape percent cover and fragmentation per se parameters. Holding the original landscape 234-square meter footprint constant, post-Florence landscape percent cover and percolation probabilities were recalculated both including and excluding ASUs that were fully buried under sediment. Trap samples were taken both before and after Florence. Due to considerable landscape parameter alterations over this timeframe and potentially confounding disturbance influences, caution should be taken in examining post-Florence faunal densities.