The distribution of seagrass and associated benthic communities was mapped between the 29 July and 29 August 1997 on the reef and lagoon at Low Isles, Great Barrier Reef. For this survey, a total of 349 benthic survey points were examined by observers walking or free‐diving at survey points positioned approximately 50 m apart along a series of transects. To assist with mapping meadow boundaries, an additional 177 points were assessed and a 1:12,000 rectified aerial photo was commissioned (26th August 1997). A differential handheld global positioning system (GPS) was used to locate each point assessed. 127.8 ±29.6 hectares of seagrass was mapped.

The distribution of seagrass and associated benthic communities was mapped between the 29 July and 29 August 1997 on the reef and lagoon at Low Isles, Great Barrier Reef. For this survey, a total of 349 benthic survey points were examined by observers walking or free‐diving at survey points positioned approximately 50 m apart along a series of transects. To assist with mapping meadow boundaries, an additional 177 points were assessed and a 1:12,000 rectified aerial photo was commissioned (26th August 1997). A differential handheld global positioning system (GPS) was used to locate each point assessed. 127.8 ±29.6 hectares of seagrass was mapped.

The abundance and distribution of benthic organisms and communities at both broad and fine scales were surveyed at Montgomery Reef in March and July 2009. Due to the logistical constraints placed on sampling techniques by the macrotidal changes around Montgomery Reef, three sampling techniques were employed to obtain imagery of the benthic environment between the depths of 0 and 53 metres.Reef Walks:With much of the reef edge exposed at low tide, the shallowest sections of the reef (0 to ~6 metres) could be sampled whilst walking across the exposed reef. Digital cameras (Ricoh GX100) were held at 1~1.2 metres above the reef with 1 photograph taken approximately every 2 metres. Teams of researchers walked in parallel, with 3-4 camera deployed simultaneously at a site. Each camera was synchronised with a GPS providing accurate positional information (2 - 5 metres) from which each image could later be georeferenced. Reef walks were conducted to the northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest. Tripod Camera:A simple tripod camera system developed by A. Heyward was trialled to sample the turbid shallow waters between 2 and 16 metres. Each system consisted of a camera tripod with a downward facing digital camera (Ricoh GX100) attached 600mm above the ground and set to photograph every 5 seconds. Each camera was synchronised with a GPS providing accurate positional information from which individual images could later be georeferenced. The tripod systems were attached to 20 metres of rope and lowered off the side of a tender to the bottom and held for a minimum of 5 seconds to allow the camera to complete at least one image while the tripod was located firmly on the substrate. It was noted that using underwater strobes generally reduced image quality. As a result the strobes were turned off and only natural light was relied on for photography. During retrieval the tender was allowed to drift with prevailing wind and tide, with images of the benthos effectively taken every 2 to 5 metres. The start of each transect position allowed the length of each drift to be monitored, so that transects of a nominal length, often around 200m, could be completed before moving the tender to a new location. The advantage of the technique is that even in very turbid water, high resolution digital stills are obtained with the stability afforded by the tripod allowing for cameras to be set with a longer exposure letting in maximum light.Towed Video:The AIMS towed video system was used to survey the deeper water (between 10 and 53 metres) to the north and south of the reef. The system was flown at approximately 1 metre above the sea floor with real time analysis of the video footage (AIMS Towvid) used to examine the broad scale distribution of dominant benthic biota. In addition to video footage, a downward facing digital still camera was attached to the bottom of the towed body. The camera was set to photograph the benthos approximately every 5 metres. The high resolution images allowed for a more detailed assessment of the benthic community. The objectives of the research were three-fold:1. to provide a broad- and fine-scale characterisation the benthic communities and substratum at Montgomery Reef2. to identify similarities and differences in the benthic communities examined and3. to undertake a detailed spatial analysis to examine and map the distribution of these benthic organisms and communities.This research was the first detailed quantitative survey of the benthic communities of Montgomery Reef. Univariate, multivariate and spatial statistics are employed to examine both the similarities and differences in the distribution and relative abundance of these benthic communities. This study is part of a broader regional survey of the Kimberley fringing reefs initiated by AIMS in 2009.

A benthic habitat polygon coverage has been created of the coral reef ecosystem within the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative Kaanapali priority study area and the State of Hawaii Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, West-Central Maui, Hawaii. Polygons were hand-digitized from visual interpretation of QuickBird-2 satellite imagery (2005), and SHOALS bathymetry data. We also utilized in situ knowledge from underwater photography and videography (2002-2011), side-scan sonar data, and diver and snorkeler observations. The polygons have attributes for Main Structure/Substrate, Dominant Structure/Substrate, Major Biological Cover, Percent of Major Biological Cover, Reef Zone, Unique ID, and measurements of Area (in square meters) of each polygon.

A benthic habitat polygon coverage has been created of the coral reef ecosystem within the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative Kaanapali priority study area and the State of Hawaii Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area, West-Central Maui, Hawaii. Polygons were hand-digitized from visual interpretation of QuickBird-2 satellite imagery (2005), and SHOALS bathymetry data. We also utilized in situ knowledge from underwater photography and videography (2002-2011), side-scan sonar data, and diver and snorkeler observations. The polygons have attributes for Main Structure/Substrate, Dominant Structure/Substrate, Major Biological Cover, Percent of Major Biological Cover, Reef Zone, Unique ID, and measurements of Area (in square meters) of each polygon.

Surveys of benthic communities were carried out at Davies Reef, a mid-shelf reef, and Myrmidon Reef, an outer-shelf reef in the central region of the Great Barrier Reef. On each reef, 6 comparable sites were surveyed along contiguous 10 m line transects that followed a depth contour. Sites were located at the reef crest, 5 m, 10 m, 15 m and 20 m depths on the windward slope and one reef flat site running parallel to and about 50 m leeward of the reef edge. The depths were measured using the reef crest lip as datum.At Davies Reef, 12 replicate transects were established per site, except for the reef flat, which had 18 transects (78 transects). At Myrmidon Reef, 10 replicate transects were surveyed per site (60 transects). On each transect the reef substrata were categorized using 19 morphological descriptors, some of which were taxonomically based. A plastic fibre tape marked in centimetres was laid along the depth contour and the intercepts of each substrate category were recorded as a series to the nearest centimetre. Instances of one benthic type visibly influencing its near neighbours on the transect (dead patches visible along the boundaries of one or both the neighbours) were recorded.These data were used for both spatial and structural analyses of the benthos along each transect. The same list of categories was used for each analysis, except that non-living categories such as sand/rubble and water were not included in the structural analyses. Spatial analyses involved calculation of the percent cover of each category averaged over the replicate transects. Coral/coral interactions and interactions between corals and other biota were analysed for Davies Reef only. The lengths of the gaps between hard corals, hard corals and soft corals and hard corals and sponges were measured. Structural analyses were based on the mean number of occurrences of each category per transect and the total length of each category per transect. This research was undertaken to:1. collect quantitative data on percentage cover and one dimensional spatial patterns of benthic organisms and non-living substrata at varying depths on the reef slope, which would also allow determination of:- the distribution of non-living substrata on the reef slope- the distribution of space between particular groups of organisms- the distribution of observable interactions between benthic organisms2. investigate the use of physiognomic-structural data, such as morphological descriptions of the coral reef benthos, to characterize some well known reef communities, as a prelude to a world scale analysis of reef community structure

The Northwestern Hawaiian lslands were sampled during October 2000 at 63 stations on 9 atolls or islands under the lead of NOAA. This work is affiliated with the Northwest Hawaii Islands Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (NOWRAMP), which performed a cruise in September 2000. One aspect of this study was benthic community characterization, which was accomplished via sample collection by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) personnel and laboratory and data analysis by Barry A. Vittor & Associates, Inc. (BVA). Sampling devices varied during the field collections. Density, diversity and evenness could only be calculated at stations sampled with a Young dredge (area = 0.04 m2).