WAMSI 2 - Kimberley Node - Project 1.1.2 - Key ecological processes in Kimberley benthic communities: recruitment and herbivory, Western Australia

Identify the timing of coral and fish replenishment (recruitment of young) in the Kimberley. Determine the significance and impact of algal and seagrass eating species (herbivores) on the Kimberley marine ecosystem. Understand how these ecological processes work in different Kimberley habitats such as coral reefs, mangrove and inter-tidal areas. Key overall objectives of the project include identifying the nature of these processes from a representative habitat perspective, identifying the important taxa involved in these processes, providing baseline quantitative information, establishing safe monitoring sites and the development of cost-effective techniques suitable to the challenging Kimberley environment. Field data has been collated and combined into excel spread sheets and locational ESRI GIS shapefiles.本项目旨在明确金伯利海域珊瑚与鱼类种群补充（幼体招募，recruitment of young）的时间节点，探明以藻类和海草为食的物种（植食动物，herbivores）对金伯利海洋生态系统的重要性与影响，并厘清上述生态过程在金伯利不同生境（如珊瑚礁、红树林及潮间带区域）中的运作机制。本项目的核心总体目标包括：从典型生境视角阐明上述生态过程的本质，明确参与这些过程的关键生物类群，提供基线定量数据，设立安全的监测点位，以及研发适配金伯利严苛环境的低成本高效监测技术。目前已将野外采集的数据整理整合至Excel电子表格与带有位置信息的ESRI地理信息系统（GIS）形状文件中。