WAMSI 2 - Dredging Node - Project 4.7 - Defining Thresholds and Indicators of Coral Response to Dredging Related Pressures - CORAL DEMOGRAPHY, Western Australia

• Other Authors: Babcock, Russ (pointOfContact), CSIRO O&A, Information & Data Centre (pointOfContact), CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere - Aspendale (hasAssociationWith), CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere - Hobart (hasAssociationWith), CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere - IOMRC Crawley (hasAssociationWith), CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere - St. Lucia (hasAssociationWith)
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Ocean Data Network
• Subjects: biota; Earth Science | Biosphere | Aquatic Ecosystems | Coastal Habitat; Earth Science | Biological Classification | Animals/Invertebrates | Cnidarians | Anthozoans/Hexacorals; Earth Science | Biosphere | Aquatic Ecosystems | Benthic Habitat; Global / Oceans | Indian Ocean; Marine Features (Australia) | Australian North West Shelf; WA; Pilbara MCP; WA Data Inventory 2007-8; Western Australian Marine Science Institute; Acropora millepora; Porites spp; Turbinaria mesenterina; Enderby Island; Lewis Island
• Online Access: https://researchdata.edu.au/wamsi-2-dredging-western-australia/687911

Progress Code: completed Maintenance and Update Frequency: asNeeded Statement: Four permanent transects (30 m in length) were established at West Lewis Island, and two at Enderby Island between 20-30 May 2014. The start and finish points of transects were marked with a star picket and at 5 m intervals with steel reinforcing rod. The position of all star pickets were recorded using a hand-held GPS. Along each permanent transect, benthic photographs were taken to quantify the percentage cover of coral assemblages as well as other benthic substrata. Photographs were taken at a distance of approximately 50 cm from the substratum and spaced every 50 cm on each side of the permanent transects. Percentage cover was quantified by classifying the benthos beneath 6 fixed points on each image (300 points per transect) using the software package Transect Measure (V 2.41 http://www.seagis.com.au/transect.htm). For each species, population size-frequency distributions were obtained by recording the size of all colonies within a one metre distance on either side of permanent transects (60 m2). Using the permanent transect as a reference point, the locations of all tagged colonies were recorded, tagged, measured and photographed. Tagged colonies were re-located and re-measured approximately one year later. A total of 737 corals were examined; 473 corals from Enderby Island and 264 from West Lewis Islands. Similar numbers of massive Porites (279), T. mesenterina (229) and A. millepora (272) colonies were tagged. Of the colonies tagged 733 corals were re-located a year later and assessed for survival, growth, partial mortality and fission. Refer to the full report for further details. Credit This work was a component of the WAMSI program http://www.wamsi.org.au/ - WAMSI Dredging Node Credit Russ Babcock CSIRO Damian Thomson CSIRO James Gilmour AIMS Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) An understanding of coral population dynamics (demography) is needed when designing and evaluating studies that aim to ...