Temperate Australian quantitative spatial and temporal abundance data for rocky reef biota (biodiversity): long-term Tasmanian MPAs

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). These data are temporally replicated (year scale).