Surveys of octocorals in the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve, Western Australia

Octocoral biodiversity was surveyed at eighteen sites across all three Rowley Shoals (Mermaid, Clerke and Imperieuse Reefs). At each site, transects commenced at ~20m depth and ascended gradually, finishing at ~5m depth over a horizontal distance of ~300m. All octocorals encountered were identified (so far as possible in the field), most were photographed and selected samples were taken of new observations for later taxonomic analysis.The data will be maintained by AIMS, while the WA Museum will hold the taxonomic specimens. This research was undertaken as a component of a major biodiversity survey of the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve. The survey was undertaken in response to management information needs and was aimed at collecting data that could directly inform management of the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve.The octocoral data has been used to produce a basic photo ID guide to facilitate analysis of benthic monitoring video tapes from the Rowley Shoals. A subset of the data has been provided to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS, http://www.iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=meta/1460.html).