Temperate Australian quantitative spatial and temporal abundance data for rocky reef biota (biodiversity): long-term Tasmanian MPAs - Governor Island
The data is quantitative abundance of fish and megafaunal invertebrates and algal % cover derived from transect based counts at a wide range of locations across Temperate Australia. The methods are described in detail in Edgar and Barrett (1997). Primarily the data are derived from transects at 5 m depth and/or 10 m depth at each site surveyed. Methods were initially developed for research on temporal changes following protection in Tasmanian long-term MPAs (Maria Is, Tinderbox, Ninepin Point, Governor Island), and the data represented by this record has been collected at Governor Island.
In many cases the dataset involves temporal replication (year scale), particularly for the core Tasmanian MPAs represented by this record.
Simple
Identification info
- Date (Creation)
- 2007-07-03T09:28:00
Principal investigator
Principal investigator
- Purpose
- The initial purpose was to provide a description of the temporal changes in the biota of Tasmanian MPAs following protection from fishing. This was expanded to providing an insight into biogeographical patterns at the Tasmania wide scale. It has since been further expanded to describe biogeographical patterns at an Australia wide scale, to describing temporal changes in MPAs at an Australia wide scale, for understanding natural variability at decadal time scales, detecting changes associated with climate change (range extensions), quantifying impacts of introduced species (e.g. Undaria), understanding and describing ecosystem effects of fishing, and describing the influence of reef based fisheries at the decade scale.
- Credit
- Australian Research Council (ARC)
- Credit
- National Heritage Trust (NHT)
- Credit
- Natural Resource Management (NRM)
- Credit
- Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC)
- Credit
- Professor Colin Buxton
- Status
- On going
Principal investigator
Principal investigator
- Temporal resolution
-
P0Y6M0DT0H0M0S
- Topic category
-
- Biota
Extent
![](https://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/api/regions/geom.png?geomsrs=EPSG:4326&geom=POLYGON((148.4%20-41.9,148.4%20-41.8,148.3%20-41.8,148.3%20-41.9,148.4%20-41.9)))
Temporal extent
- Time position
- 1992-01-01T00:00:00
Vertical element
- Minimum value
- 5
- Maximum value
- 10
- Identifier
- EPSG::5715
- Name
- MSL depth
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
Resource format
- Title
- Microsoft SQL server
- Date
- Edition
- -
- Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords Version 8.0
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC): Fields of Research
- Keywords (Theme)
-
- Abundance - fish
- Abundance - invertebrates
- Fish size class
- Shell length - abalone
- Carapace length - rock lobster
- Percentage cover algal species
Resource constraints
- Classification
- Restricted
Resource constraints
- Use limitation
- The data described in this record are the intellectual property of the University of Tasmania through the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute.
Resource constraints
- Linkage
-
http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/2.5/au/88x31.png
License Graphic
- Title
- Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia License
- Website
-
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/
License Text
- Other constraints
- The citation in a list of references is: citation author name/s (year metadata published), metadata title. Citation author organisation/s. File identifier and Data accessed at (add http link).
- Other constraints
- Please contact either of the POC's for access to the data.
- Other constraints
- Please contact the researchers when accessing the data, and please consult researchers before usage of the data, in reference to authorship.
Associated resource
- Title
- Temperate Australian quantitative spatial and temporal abundance data for rocky reef biota
- Date (Creation)
- 2011-11-22T00:00:00
- Character encoding
- UTF8
- Supplemental Information
- Edgar, GJ and Barrett, NS, ‘Effects of the declaration of marine reserves on Tasmanian reef fishes, invertebrates and plants’, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 242 (1) pp. 107-144. ISSN 0022-0981 (1999) Stuart-Smith, R.D., Barrett, N., Crawford, C., Edgar, G. and Frusher, S. (2008). Condition of rocky reef communities: A key marine habitat around Tasmania. NRM/NHT Final Report Edgar, GJ and Barrett, NS, ‘Short term monitoring of biotic change in Tasmanian marine reserves’, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 213 (2) pp. 261-279. ISSN 0022-0981 (1997) Barrett, NS and Buxton, CD and Edgar, GJ, ‘Changes in invertebrate and macroalgal populations in Tasmanian marine reserves in the decade following protection’, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology , 370 (1-2) pp. 104-119. ISSN 0022-0981 (2009) Barrett, NS and Edgar, GJ and Buxton, CD and Haddon, M, ‘Changes in fish assemblages following ten years of protection in Tasmanian marine protected areas’, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 345 (2) pp. 141 - 157. ISSN 0022-0981 (2007) Barrett, N. & Buxton, C. (2002). Examining underwater visual census techniques for the assessment of population structure and biodiversity in temperate coastal marine protected areas. Technical Report No. 11. Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. Barrett, N., Edgar, G., & Morton, A. (2002). Monitoring of Tasmanian inshore reef ecosystems. Technical Report No. 10. Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute.
Content Information
- Content type
- Physical measurement
- Name
- Abundance - fish
- Name
- Abundance - invertebrates
- Name
- Individuals per quadrat/transect
- Name
- Fish size class
- Name
- mm
- Name
- Shell length - abalone
- Name
- mm
- Name
- Carapace length - rock lobster
- Name
- mm
- Name
- Percentage cover algal species
Distribution Information
- Distribution format
-
- Microsoft SQL server
Distributor
Resource lineage
- Statement
- The underwater visual census (UVC) methodology used to survey rocky reef communities involved quantitative diver-based surveys of fishes, large mobile invertebrates and macroalgae (see below for more detail; also described by Edgar & Barrett, 1997 and Edgar et al., 1997). At each site, 4 x 50m transects were laid at the 5m or 10m depth contour, and fishes, invertebrates (> 2.5 cm) and algae were recorded separately (as described below) by a team of 2 - 3 divers. Details of each site, including the date and GPS location, were recorded. FISHES:-The density and estimated size-class of fish species within 5 m either side of the 50 m transect line were recorded by a diver (i.e. 50 m x 10 m). This was done by swimming parallel to the transect line (2.5 m away) and recording fish within a 5 m wide lane, on each side of the transect. Size-classes of total fish length were categorised as 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 375, 400, 500, 625, 750, 875 and 1000+ mm. Lengths of fish >1000 mm length were individually estimated. MACROINVERTEBRATES:-A diver searched the seabed for a 1 m wide lane along the transect line for cryptic fishes and macroinvertebrates (i.e. 50 m x 1 m). Four 1 m x 50 m transects were surveyed at each site. Algae were swept away from the transect to obtain a clear view of the substratum. Mobile invertebrates (including rock lobsters, abalone, sea urchins, octopus etc) were counted, as were cryptic fishes (also estimated for size). The maximum shell length of abalone and the carapace length of rock lobsters were measured underwater using vernier callipers whenever possible. MACROALGAE:-Macroalgae were surveyed at 10 m intervals along the transect line using a 0.25 m quadrat with a grid of 7 wires crossing perpendicularly. Macroalgal cover was assessed by identifying and counting algae species that occurred directly under the 50 (49 plus one corner) grid positions. Values for each species were converted to percentage of the total values for all algal species. Algae were counted in layers, with percent cover of canopy species recorded first, then pushed aside exposing the understorey species for counting.
- Hierarchy level
- Dataset
Metadata
- Metadata identifier
- 89ef56b8-0890-4511-8c58-f2c8b3b694c9
- Language
- English
- Character encoding
- UTF8
Point of contact
- Parent metadata
Type of resource
- Resource scope
- Dataset
- Metadata linkage
-
https://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/89ef56b8-0890-4511-8c58-f2c8b3b694c9
Point of truth URL of this metadata record
- Date info (Creation)
- 2021-03-30T21:55:03
- Date info (Revision)
- 2021-03-30T21:55:03
Metadata standard
- Title
- ISO 19115-3:2018
Overviews
Spatial extent
![](https://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/api/regions/geom.png?geomsrs=EPSG:4326&geom=POLYGON((148.4%20-41.9,148.4%20-41.8,148.3%20-41.8,148.3%20-41.9,148.4%20-41.9)))
Provided by
![](https://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/../images/logos/1bb8f09c-99d6-431f-b902-4d3e4cef02df.png)