Rapid Ecological Assessment (REA) of scleractinian coral diversity on Solomon Islands reefs

Zooxanthellate scleractinian corals were surveyed at 66 sites in the Solomon Islands in 2004, using "Rapid Ecological Assessment" (REA) methods. Surveys were conducted using SCUBA to a maximum depth of 50m and covered a wide range of habitats. Two surveys were conducted at each site, one deep (>10m) on the deeper reef slope and one shallow (Initial species identification was made visually, underwater. Where taxonomic or identification problems arose, samples were collected for further examination. Voucher specimens were lodged with the Department of Fisheries of the Solomon Islands. The aim of this study was:1. to build a cumulative total of zooxanthellate scleractinian coral species for the entire Solomon Islands group2. to provide information to allow comparisons with other study sites in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. This project was a component of the Solomon Islands Marine Assessment, which was an initiative of The Nature Conservancy (TNC).