Data describing post-recruit (adult) fish assemblages and the abundance of recruiting cryptobenthic species associated with 28 artificial reefs of different sizes and supporting different densities of transplanted kelp (Ecklonia radiata) off the west coast of Maria island. Adult assemblages were assessed using diver-based visual surveys conducted at three times (early: spring 2015, middle: autumn: 2016, late: spring 2016). At each time, 2 surveys were conducted, and the results were averaged. Recruiting cryptobenthic fishes were assessed using SMURF (standard Monitoring Units for the Recruitment of Fishes) collectors that were deployed for a six-week period in the centre of each reef on four consecutive occasions (November 2015 to March 2016).

The abundance of macroinvertebrates associated with 28 experimental artificial reefs supporting different patch sizes and density of kelp (Ecklonia radiata) off Maria Island, Tasmania. Macroinvertebrates were assessed by diver-based visual census conducted between November 2015 and December 2016. This data was collected to examine how the patch size and density of kelp influences the establishment of macroinvertebrate assemblages.

The recruitment of mussels and microphytobenthic (MPB) algae to 28 experimental artificial reefs supporting different patch sizes and density of kelp (Ecklonia radiata) off Maria Island, Tasmania. The recruitment of mussels was assessed using rope fibre habitats, and the recruitment of MPB algae was assessed using microscope slides, positioned across the artificial reef and collected in November 2015. These data were collected to examine how the patch size and density of kelp influences the establishment of MPB algae and mussels.

This research targets the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative (HCRI) Priority Area A: Kahekili, Maui: Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA). The project goal was to evaluate the efficacy of this new management action by developing a detailed algal production/herbivore consumption budget. The KHFMA was established in an effort to promote herbivore grazing and thus reverse the decline in coral cover on the reef through increased algal consumption. Because it may take several years for monitoring programs of fish and benthic communities to detect changes associated with the recent protection from fishing at KHFMA, additional data are needed to identify benchmarks of success. By developing a growth/consumption budget for the algal and herbivore communities at KHFMA, this will enable the determination how much algae is currently being grazed and how many more herbivores would be needed to actually begin controlling algal abundance at Kahekili. Observations of fish and urchin consumption of algae were made during 2010-2011 at KHFMA. Additional observations were made at Lanai Lighthouse, which is the SW corner of the island of Lanai and Canoe Beach, which is just south of KHFMA, in 2009. Laboratory experiments were conducted at the Maui Ocean Center in 2010-2011.

This research targets the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative (HCRI) Priority Area A: Kahekili, Maui: Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA). The project goal was to evaluate the efficacy of this new management action by developing a detailed algal production/herbivore consumption budget. The KHFMA was established in an effort to promote herbivore grazing and thus reverse the decline in coral cover on the reef through increased algal consumption. Because it may take several years for monitoring programs of fish and benthic communities to detect changes associated with the recent protection from fishing at KHFMA, additional data are needed to identify benchmarks of success. By developing a growth/consumption budget for the algal and herbivore communities at KHFMA, this will enable the determination how much algae is currently being grazed and how many more herbivores would be needed to actually begin controlling algal abundance at Kahekili. Observations of fish and urchin consumption of algae were made during 2010-2011 at KHFMA. Additional observations were made at Lanai Lighthouse, which is the SW corner of the island of Lanai and Canoe Beach, which is just south of KHFMA, in 2009. Laboratory experiments were conducted at the Maui Ocean Center in 2010-2011.

The data is a collection of reef habitat structure measurements from sites around Tasmania with regional snapshots from Jurien Bay (WA) and Jervis Bay (NSW). Explanatory variables investigated were depth, duration of protection from fishing within marine protected area, rugosity, boulder substratum at a site, the average number of refuge size categories, and a fractal refuge index that reflected the frequency distribution of different sized physical refuges. Also considered were biogenic habitat structure in the form of the percent cover of canopy algae and the biomass of predatory fish.

This project ensures that the existing data from previous fishery independent surveys can be combined with data collected under new methodology, ensuring preservation of long-time series reef fish datasets in the FGBNMS. Specifically, this archived dataset are the site level fish abundance and size observations made by one transect diver and a pair of stationary point count divers. These collection methods represent the transition of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) belt-transect survey methodology to the currently used Reef Visual Census (RVC) survey methodology, respectively. More information about the methodologies can be found (Jeffrey 2019 & CRCP 2022). In the FGBNMS, the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program began in 2013. Initially, the belt transect method was used for fish surveys, but then transitioned to the RVC method in the FGBNMS by 2018. This dataset is the field samples collected in order to properly calibrate belt transect data to RVC data.

Estimates of blacklip abalone (Haliotis rubra) size at emergence were obtained from surveys of ten sites within the Mercury Passage on Tasmania's east coast. Size at emergence estimates were obtained from five populations inside the Maria Island Marine Reserve (MIMR) and at five adjacent sites where abalone harvesting occurs. The data sets includes abundance and size estimates of the main abalone predators, including the southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii), and competitors.

To support a long-term NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, from 19 August - 30 September 2003, marine invertebrate quantitative assessments were conducted, as part of Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA), during the Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise OES0307 in the Marianas Archipelago. Such cruises are conducted at biennial intervals by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). At specific reef sites, marine invertebrate zoologists along with coral and algal biologists entered the water and conducted a fine-scale (~100 m2) and high degree of taxonomic resolution benthic REA survey for coral, algae, and key invertebrate species. Invertebrate surveys were focused on quantifying key non-coral invertebrate species common to the reef habitats, and were conducted using a combination of different survey techniques to quantify the diverse communities. These methods included belt-transect surveys, roving-swim surveys, and quadrat surveys. In belt-transect surveys, quantitative counts of key invertebrates were recorded along two consecutively-placed 25m long and 2m wide belt transects (total area = 100 m2). For any species that cannot be identified in the field, a photograph and a representative specimen, if possible, is collected for later identification. Roving-swim surveys were conducted in the general area with the goal to collect qualitative data for rare, larger, and cryptic organisms, such as Crown of Thorns Starfish and Triton's Trumpet snails which may not be seen during belt-transect surveys, and to survey any additional habitats present at the site, e.g. sand, sea grass, pavement, etc. This was accomplished by swimming a zig-zag pattern that extends roughly 5 m on either side of the two transect lines (total length = 500 m). Quadrat surveys were used to quantify the smaller, more cryptic invertebrates which were sometimes overlooked or too numerous to count during belt-transect surveys. Ten 0.25-m2 quadrats were laid out at 2-m intervals along two of the 25-m transects (total area = 5 m2). For each quadrat the percent cover of sponges, octocorals and zoanthids was recorded, as well as urchins, hermit crabs of the genus Calcinus, trapezid crabs, and coralliophilid snails. In addition, up to 25 cm diameters of all urchin species are measured. Based on data from previous REA surveys, a group of target invertebrate species was chosen for quantitative counts at 1 REA sites at Supply Reef in the Marianas Archipelago. The species in the list were chosen because they have been shown to be common components of the reef habitats and they are species that are generally visible (i.e.; non-cryptic) and easily enumerated during the course of a single 50-60 minute SCUBA survey.

To support a long-term NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) for sustainable management and conservation of coral reef ecosystems, from 20110407 to 20110509, reef fish assessment surveys were conducted, as a part of Rapid Ecological Assessments (REA), during the Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (RAMP) Cruise HA1101 in the Marianas region by the Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). During the cruise, 19 REA sites were surveyed at Tinian in the Marianas region. At each REA site, fish biologists entered the water and conducted a fine-scale (~700 m^2) and high degree of taxonomic resolution REA survey to assess and monitor species diversity, size distribution, and abundance of fish in shallow-water hard-bottom (less than 30 m) habitats. Reef fish assessment surveys were focused on cataloging the diversity (species richness), abundance (numeric density) and biomass (fish mass per unit area) of diurnally active reef fish assemblages. The stationary point count (SPC) method was used to quantify reef fish species. Two divers lay out a 30 m transect line, and position themselves at the 7.5 and 22.5 meter marks. The SPC biologist then records estimated size and abundance of all fish within a visually estimated 15-m diameter cylinder centered on the stationary diver (7.5-m radius, total area ~ 177m^2 per cylinder). The diver first spends 5 minutes identifying all fish species in the cylindrical area, then proceeds to count and estimate size (total length) for each in a series of "instantaneous" point counts or sweeps of the cylinder. Fish were identified at the species level, wherever possible. All reef-associated fish, including those in the water column, were surveyed. The survey time for each stationary point count survey was approximately 20 min and generally two stationary point count surveys (one per diver) were conducted at each fish REA site. After completing REA surveys, divers noted the presence, at the survey site, of any unusual fish species not counted during SPC counts, in order to facilitate species lists per location.