Surveys of long spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) and barrens habitat, Kent Group, Tasmania 2000

Quantitative surveys were undertaken at four sites in the Kent Group, north eastern Tasmania (southern and northern shores of East Cove at Deal Island, Winter Cove at Deal Island, NE coast of Dover Island) by divers using underwater visual census methods to survey the reef habitat. At each site, four belt transects were laid 50-150 m apart perpendicular to the shore over 3 - 18 m depth. Depth, percentage cover of different substratum types (including Centrostephanus rodgersii barrens) and algal species or guilds, and counts of all sea urchins (Centrostephanus rodgersii, Heliocidaris erythrogramma), rock lobsters (Jasus edwardsii) and abalone (Haliotis rubra and Haliotis laevigata) were recorded in consecutive 5 m sections of each transect. Each transect was 2 m wide (1 m to each side of the laid line) and varied in length depending on the extent of reef to a maximum possible of 100 m. Original data and additional information from http://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/metadata.show?uuid=5ef4b940-86a3-11dc-a9fc-00188b4c0af8