A series of surveys were carried out on the northern reef at Balaclava as part of a UNESCO/COMARAF training workshop on coral reef ecology and management, held 1-12 October 1990.Line transects (20 m long) estimated percent cover of benthic attributes (Att.), non-colonised substrate (Coral rock, Dead coral, Rubble, Sand) and other benthos. Corals were identified to species where possible and the number (No.) of each colony was recorded. The maximum lateral dimension (Dia.) of each coral intercepted by the tape and an extimated of coral injury (Inj.) were also recorded.Belt transects were used to restimate composition, density and size frequency distribution of corals (12 x 0.6 m, divided into 4 m segments). Fish data recorded a tally of each type (species, family) observed as present or passing through 2 belt transects (50 x 4 m). Belt transects (100 x 0.6 m, 100 x 2 m, divided into 10 m segments) were also used to record the densities of 4 urchin species within 0.3 m of the tape for Echinometra mathaei and Echinostrephus mollaris; and within 1.0 m for Diadema setosum and Tripneustes gratilla. To train participants in basic survey methods and analyses using a local reef. Balaclava is also known as Baie de l'Arsenal.Coral species: Acropora grandis; Alveopora mortensoni; Astreopora myriopthalma; Echinophyllia orpheensis; Favia flexuosa; F. paliida, F. speciosa, F. stelligera, Favia sp.; Favites abdita; Favites sp.; Fungia repanda; Galaxea fascicularis; Goniastrea pectinata, Goniastrea sp., Goniastrea spat; Montipora danae, M. grisea, M. incrassate, M. spumosa, M. tuberculosa; Mycedium elephantotus; Pavona cactus, P. decussata, P. varians, P. venosa; Platygyra daedalea; Porites cylindrica; Porites massive; Porites nigrescens; Porites rus.Fish families: Acanthuridae; Chaetodontidae; Labridae; Lethrinidae; Lutjanidae; Pomacentridae; Scaridae; Serranidae; Siganidae.Echinoderm species: Diadema setosum; Echinometra mathaei; Echinostrephus mollaris; Tripneustes gratilla.

Coral communities were surveyed at 15 sites across northern Arnhem Land in 2003.Assessments were made using the following methods:1. making collections and records using SCUBA2. underwater still photography3. video photographyOnly corals requiring taxonomic study were collected. Corals were labelled, cleaned in chlorine bleach, and studied aboard ship. Specimens of continuing interest were sent to the Australian Institute of Marine Science. These specimens were intended to indicate what further study is required; they were not adequate for comprehensive species descriptions.Where opportunity permitted, a list of species for each site was compiled by scuba diving. This work was restricted as follows:1. coral collecting was not undertaken at some sites in accordance with the wishes of local aboriginal communities2. scuba diving was not undertaken at some sites due to the proximity of crocodilesSite descriptions included observations relating to substrate type, turbidity, exposure to wave action, coral cover (%), bleaching, crown-of-thorns starfish, coral disease and general condition of the site. The objectives of this survey were:1. to prepare site descriptions including estimates of coral cover and indications of general benthos diversity2. to prepare a table of species by site for corals for all sites studied3. to provide a description of site conditions, including indication of damage by human or natural events, disease and/or predation4. to provide a general interpretation of data collected and to place Arnhem Land corals into context with coral distributions elsewhere in Australia This research was supported by the National Oceans Office.

Transects of the coral colonies at 21 sites in American Samoa were surveyed by Dr. Charles Birkeland during an underwater swim in March 2002. Data for each coral species include abundance and size distribution of the colonies. The living coral cover can be estimated from the size distribution data.

Species richness, cover and community structure of reef-building corals were assessed at 599 sites on 135 reefs along the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) between 1994 and 2001, with a focus on the nearshore area. Reefs were surveyed using a standard method of Rapid Ecological Assessment. On each reef, from 1 to 31 habitats were surveyed in up to 3 depth zones (sites), comprising (a) the shallow reef flat and crest; (b) the shallow reef slope (between 3 and 7m depth); and (c) the deeper reef slope (maximum depth of 16m) respectively. At each site, an inventory of reef-building corals was compiled. Approximately 600 of the ~2,400 reefs of the GBR are located nearshore. The biological structure and ecological status of many nearshore reefs remain relatively poorly understood. This gap in knowledge was addressed by undertaking the first broad-scale assessment of nearshore reefs along >75% of the length of the GBR focusing on patterns in the species composition, richness and community structure of reef-building corals. Haphazardly-chosen starting positions were recorded with a portable Global Positioning System. The swims took an average of 45 min and covered varying distances along the slope; generally areas were surveyed until no new taxa had been encountered for some time. Corals were identified to species level wherever possible, otherwise to genus and growth form (e.g. massive Porites). At the end of each site survey, the abundance of each taxon was recorded in six broad abundance categories - absent, rare, uncommon, common, abundant, or dominant. A visual estimate of average cover of live hard coral was also made, recorded in 6 categories: 0=0%, 1=1-10%, 2=11-30%, 3=31-50%, 4=51-75%, 5=76-100%. Data have been used for the e-Atlas: http://e-atlas.org.au/content/hard-coral-biodiversity-surveys-gbr A subset of the data has been provided to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System: Australian Institute of Marine Science - Great Barrier Reef nearshore coral diversity (https://obis.org/dataset/eee81b0b-6b72-4963-9f43-ff1631bbfea3)

A survey of coral communities was carried out in the American Samoa Archipelago to assess the current status of coral reefs and provide a rigorous quantitative baseline dataset for future monitoring of these reefs. Five replicate belt transects were used to estimate the size structure, density and percent cover of corals at 29 locations around Tutuila and Manu'a Islands during October and November, 1995. Data are in .xls and .csv format with associated document files

Transects of the coral colonies at 21 sites in American Samoa were surveyed by Dr. Charles Birkeland during an underwater swim in March 2002. Data for each coral species include abundance and size distribution of the colonies. The living coral cover can be estimated from the size distribution data.

Transects of the coral colonies at 21 sites in American Samoa were surveyed by Dr. Charles Birkeland during an underwater swim in March 2002. Data for each coral species include abundances and size distributions of the colonies. The living coral cover can be estimated from the size distribution data. Data were collected by the US DOI; Geological Survey - Honolulu in support of the Coral Reef Studies.

The back reef habitats of three outershelf reefs (Ribbon Reef No. 10, at the Cod Hole, Chicken Reef and Turner Cay), one mid-shelf reef (Lizard Island) and one inshore reef (Great Keppel Island) were surveyed for juvenile hard corals between October 2006 and May 2007. Densities of juvenile corals were estimated by counting the number of colonies of <50 mm diameter in a 34 x 34 cm (0.12 m²) quadrat with a scale bar attached. Between 7 and 33 haphazardly placed quadrats were sampled at each reef. All juveniles were assigned to one of two size classes (<20 mm and 20-50 mm), which allowed the effects of colony size on detectability to be assessed. Juveniles were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level, usually genus.Photographs of each quadrat were taken using an 8.0 megapixel Canon Powershot S80, except at the Cod Hole site where a 5.0 megapixel Canon Powershot A95 was used.Each quadrat was assessed by a single observer in the field and the image of each quadrat was assessed by two independent observers in the laboratory. No observer surveyed the same quadrat using both methods. The substrate in each image was rated from 1 (flat) to 10 (complex with many holes and crevices) to assess whether substrate complexity accounted for any differences between the two methods. This study was undertaken to investigate whether analysis of digital still camera images provided estimates of density and taxonomic composition of juvenile corals that were comparable to estimates obtained from visual census in the field.