IMOS - National Reef Monitoring Network Sub-Facility - Benthic cover data (in situ surveys)

The National Reef Monitoring Network brings together shallow reef surveys conducted around Australia into a centralised database. The IMOS National Reef Monitoring Network sub-Facility collates, cleans, stores and makes this data rapidly available from contributors including: Reef Life Survey, Parks Australia, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (Western Australia), Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (South Australia), Department of Primary Industries (New South Wales), Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service and Parks Victoria. The data provided by the National Reef Monitoring Network contributes to establishing and supporting national marine baselines, and assisting with the management of Commonwealth and State marine reserves. The Australian Temperate Reef Network (ATRC) aims to improve biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of marine resources by coordinating surveys of rocky and coral reefs using scientific methods, with the ultimate goal to improve coastal stewardship. Our activities depend on the skills of marine scientists, experienced and motivated recreational SCUBA divers, partnerships with management agencies and university researchers, and active input from the ATRC partners. ATRC data are freely available to the public for non-profit purposes, so not only managers, but also groups such as local dive clubs or schools may use these data to look at changes over time in their own local reefs. By making data freely available and through public outputs, ATRC aims to raise broader community awareness of the status of Australia?s marine biodiversity and associated conservation issues. This dataset contains data on the cover of macroalage and sessile invertebrates collected in situ at Australian Temperate Reef Collaboration (ATRC) sites. Quadrats are placed at 10 m spacing along each transect line (i.e. 5 per 50 m transect and 20 per contiguous 200 m) by divers skilled in macroalgal identification. The canopy layer, mid-story and substrate are sequentially assessed in each single, 50 -point quadrat.