Fisheries Queensland Long Term Monitoring Program Underwater Visual Census of twenty-four reefs on the Great Barrier Reef between 1999 and 2004.

Abstract

In 1999, the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), Fisheries Queensland undertook a new initiative to collect long term monitoring data of various important stocks including reef fish. This data and monitoring manual for the reef fish component of that program which was based on Underwater Visual Census methodology of 24 reefs on the Great Barrier Reef between 1999 and 2004. Data was collected using six 50m x 5m transects at 4 sites on 24 reefs. Benthic cover type was also recorded for 10m of each transect. The attached Access Database contains 5 tables being:

SITE DETAILS TABLE
Survey year
Data entry complete
REF survey site ID
Site # (1-4)
Location (reef name)
Site Date (date surveyed)
Observer 1 (3 initials to identify who estimated fish lengths and recorded benthic cover)

TRANSECT DETAILS
Survey ID
Transect Number (1-6)
Time (the transect was surveyed)
Visibility (in metres)
Minimum Depth surveyed (m)
Maximum Depth surveyed (m)
Percent of survey completed (%)
Comments

SUBSTRATE
Survey ID
Transect Number (1-6)
then % cover of each of eth following categories of benthic cover types
Dead Coral
Live Coral
Soft Coral
Rubble
Sand
Sponge
Algae
Sea Grass
Other

COORDINATES (over survey sites)
from -14 38.792 to -19 44.233 and
from 145 21.507 to 149 55.515

SIGHTINGS
ID
Survey ID
Transect Number (1-6)
CAAB Code
Scientific Name
Reef Fish Length (estimated Fork Length of fish; -1 = unknown or not recorded)
Outside Transect (if a fish was observed outside a transect -1 was recorded)
Morph Code (F = footballer morph for Plectropomus laevis, S = Spawning colour morph displayed)