The spatial extent of the long spined sea urchin, Centrostephanus rodgersii, was estimated by divers using underwater visual census methods to survey rocky reef habitats at 13 regions along Tasmania's east coast (between Eddystone Point and Recherche Bay). Within each region 3 subsites were surveyed, and within each subsite 4 belt transects were surveyed. Divers recorded depth, percent substrata type, percent C. rodgersii barrens habitat; abundance of urchins (C. rodgersii and H. erythrogramma), rock lobster (J. edwardsii) and abalone (H. rubra). Divers also recorded algal cover (estimated), C. rodgersii barrens and substratum type using set categories (see below).

The spatial extent of C. rodgersii "barrens" was estimated by surveying rocky reef habitat with a towed underwater video system. Sampling took place at 13 regions along the east coast of Tasmania, each comprising 3 subsites, this dataset refers to the Schouten Island, and its 3 subsites: Baudin, Sarah and Sonerat.

The Marine Futures Project was designed to benchmark the current status of key Western Australian marine ecosystems, based on an improved understanding of the relationship between marine habitats, biodiversity and our use of these values. Approximately 1,500 km2 of seafloor were mapped using hydroacoustics (Reson 8101 Multibeam), and expected benthic habitats "ground-truthed" using towed video transects and baited remote underwater video systems. Both sources of information were then combined in a spatial predictive modelling framework to produce fine-scale habitat maps showing the extent of substrate types, biotic formations, etc. Surveys took place across 9 study areas, including Mount Gardner, a site located just off Two People’s Bay, 30km east of the town of Albany. The area is host to a number of human uses, including recreational and commercial fishing, diving, surfing, recreational boat use and shipping and mining. The marine environment at this location is different to the other three study locations on the south coast, in that it encompasses the protected Two Peoples Bay with seagrass and invertebrate communities and the more exposed rocky and macroalgal reefs around the Mt Gardner peninsula itself.

The results of this survey are based primarily on the first hand experience of Craig Sanderson who was doing his masters thesis at the time on aspects of the biology of Macrocystis pyrifera (Linnaeus) C. Agardh 1820. In need of significant beds of M. pyrifera for research much of the east coast was searched by boat. Significant stands (>1/2 acre) were found at Darlington, Southerly Bottom (East North Bay), Fortesque Bay and George III Rock, (near Actaeon Island). The status of the few areas not visited was determined from anecdotal reports.

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "Assessing the condition of natural values within priority temperate Australian Marine Parks to evaluate management effectiveness". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Australian Marine Parks cover almost half of Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone and are managed using an adaptive management framework that requires robust ecological data to assess the condition and trend of natural values. Standardised long-term monitoring is critical for evaluating management effectiveness, understanding emerging pressures, and guiding future investment in park management. This project undertook ecological surveys across continental shelf habitats within Geographe, South-west Corner, Beagle, Hunter, and Kimberley Marine Parks. Surveys targeted priority long-term monitoring locations identified by Parks Australia, and were designed to collect comparable biological and ecological data relevant to management effectiveness assessment. Monitoring followed nationally standardised methods from the NESP Field Manuals for Marine Sampling to Monitor Australian Waters (https://doi.org/10.11636/9781925848755). Demersal fishes and sharks were surveyed using stereo-BRUVs and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs); mobile invertebrates using traps; sessile invertebrates, seagrass and macroalgal communities using ROVs and drop cameras; and shallow/mesophotic coral reef ecosystems using ROVs supplemented with stereo-BRUVs. Survey outputs included new baseline and repeat observations of natural values, biodiversity, habitat condition, species size structure and coral bleaching impacts. The data support assessment of ecological condition and trends, evaluation of pressures including climate change and marine heatwaves, and development of monitoring indicators and reporting protocols linked to Parks Australia’s Management Effectiveness framework. The project collaborated with Traditional Owners and Indigenous ranger groups, including the Wadandi Ranger Program, Undalup Association and Karri Karrak Aboriginal Corporation, supporting two-way knowledge exchange and Indigenous participation in Sea Country monitoring and management. Outputs • Fish scoring data from BRUV, BOSS and ROV platforms [dataset] • Benthic imagery with annotations from ROV and drop camera platforms [dataset] • Lobster catch data [dataset] • Spatially-referenced highlight videos/imagery for communication purposes [dataset] • Final project report [written]