Assessing the effects of changes in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning plans on southern mid-shelf shoals using Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS) (TM) (MTSRF Project 4.8.2)

Surveys were undertaken in February/March and August/September 2007 (Autumn and Spring) and October 2009 (Spring) on two pairs of discrete deepwater shoals in the mid-shelf section of the southern Great Barrier Reef - East and West Warregos; Karamea and Barcoo Banks. Within each pair, one shoal was from a 'Green' (closed to all fishing) and the other from a 'Blue' (open to fishing) zone, based on the rezoning carried out in 2004. The demersal vertebrate communities were sampled using non-extractive Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS), which revealed a diverse (c250 species) fauna of fish, sharks, rays and seasnakes.

Variables recorded:
Habitat composition of underlying substratum (sand, rubble, consolidated outcrop or reef), and epibenthic community (hard coral, soft coral, sponge, macroalgae, whips and gorgonians, encrusting organisms, bare substratum) - estimated from BRUVS field of view as percentage cover of each component, to nearest 10%.
Zone (Green, G; or Blue, B); Reef name; Habitat class (coral - coral dominated reef; garden - gorgonian and seawhip garden; rubble - low relief rubble field; sand - open sandy seabed); Depth (m; or shallow, deep); Latitude and longitude (ship's GPS position at deployment); Trip (1 - February, autumn; 2 - August/September, spring). In some (stereo) BRUVs the size of fishes was recorded (mm).

Fish species were placed in categories depending on the likelihood of being caught and retained by line fishers:
(a) 'Highly sought after reef dwelling species' - the most desirable reef dwelling species based on eating qualities and size, as well as their reef dwelling habits.
(b) 'Sought after reef dwelling and pelagic species' - as in (a) plus pelagic and semi-pelagic species, and smaller, acceptable food fishes.
(c) 'All species considered likely to be caught by line fishers including by-catch' - as in (b) plus the undesirable fishes that form by-catch.
(d) 'Species considered unlikely to be caught by line fishers' - all species unlikely to be hooked because of their dietary preferences or small size.

本数据集的调查于2007年2-3月、8-9月（对应南半球秋季与春季）及2009年10月（南半球春季）开展，调查区域为南大堡礁中部陆架区的两对离散深水浅滩：东沃雷戈斯浅滩与西沃雷戈斯浅滩（East and West Warregos）、卡拉米亚浅滩与巴库浅滩（Karamea and Barcoo Banks）。基于2004年的区域重划方案，每对浅滩中，一处属于"绿色区域（全面禁渔）"，另一处属于"蓝色区域（允许开展捕捞活动）"。

采样采用非抽取式诱饵远程水下视频站（Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations, BRUVS），共记录到由鱼类、鲨鱼、鳐类及海蛇组成的共约250个物种种群，群落多样性丰富。

记录的变量包括：
1. 基底生境组成：底层基质类型（沙质、碎石、固结露头或礁体）及表底栖生物群落（硬珊瑚、软珊瑚、海绵、大型藻类、鞭珊瑚与柳珊瑚、附着生物、裸露基底）——通过BRUVS的拍摄视野估算各组分的盖度百分比，精度至10%；
2. 区域类型（绿色区域G或蓝色区域B）；
3. 礁体名称；
4. 生境类别：珊瑚类（以珊瑚为主的礁体）、花园类（柳珊瑚与海鞭群落）、碎石区（低起伏碎石场）、沙质区（开阔沙质海床）；
5. 水深（单位：米，或分为浅、深两个层级）；
6. 经纬度：部署设备时的船舶GPS定位坐标；
7. 航次编号：1对应2月秋季航次，2对应8-9月春季航次。
部分立体BRUVS还记录了鱼类的体长（单位：毫米）。

鱼类物种按垂钓渔民的捕获及保留可能性划分为四类：
(a) "高需求礁栖物种"：基于食用品质、体型及礁栖习性筛选出的优质礁栖物种；
(b) "高需求礁栖与中上层物种"：包含(a)类物种，同时涵盖中上层、近中上层物种，以及体型适中、可作为食用渔获的小型鱼类；
(c) "垂钓渔民可能捕获的所有物种（含副渔获）"：包含(b)类物种，同时纳入作为副渔获的不受欢迎鱼类；
(d) "垂钓渔民难以捕获的物种"：因食性偏好或体型过小而难以被钓钩捕获的所有物种。