Effects of changes in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning plans on reef base shoals of the Pompey, Swain and Capricorn-Bunker reefs (MTSRF Project 4.8.2)

Surveys were undertaken in January/February 2009 (summer) at the Capricorn-Bunker, Pompey and Swains Groups on deepwater reef bases (shoals) in the Great Barrier Reef. In each survey, reefs were paired with one zoned 'green' (closed to fishing) and the other 'blue' (open to all fishing) - 16 pairs of reefs. The demersal habitats and vertebrate communities were sampled using non-extractive baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS), which revealed a diverse (c360 species) fauna of fish, sharks, rays and sea snakes.

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 percent.
Zone (Green, G; or Blue, B); Reef name; Habitat class (coral dominated reef; gorgonian and seawhip garden; low relief rubble field; algal meadow; open sandy seabed); Depth (m); Latitude and longitude (ship's GPS position at deployment).

Fish species were placed in categories depending on the likelihood of being caught and retained by line fishers:
Target species - (1,703 sightings, 21 species) the most desirable demersal fishes based on their market price and size, as well as their reef dwelling habits.
Bycatch species - (5,510 sightings, 85 species) undersized juveniles of target species; undesirable fishes caught by line fishers; pelagic and semi-pelagic species retained for consumption, use as bait, or released alive; all sharks and rays likely to take a baited hook.
Unfished species - (16,635 individuals, 251 species) those unlikely to be hooked because of dietary preferences or small size.

本数据集的野外调查于2009年1月/2月（南半球夏季）在大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef）的摩羯-邦克群礁、庞皮群礁及斯温斯群礁的深水礁基（浅滩）开展。本次调查共设置16组礁体配对，每组包含1个划为"绿色保护区"（禁止捕捞）与1个"蓝色开放区"（允许所有捕捞活动）的礁体。研究采用非抽取式诱饵远程水下视频站（baited remote underwater video stations, BRUVS）对底栖生境与脊椎动物群落进行采样，共记录到由鱼类、鲨鱼、鳐类及海蛇组成的约360个物种种群。

本次调查记录的变量如下：
1. 生境组成：包括底层基质类型（沙、碎石、固结露头或礁体）与表底栖群落组成（硬珊瑚、软珊瑚、海绵、大型藻类、鞭珊瑚与柳珊瑚、包被生物、裸露基质），通过BRUVS的视野范围估算各组分的盖度百分比，精度至10%；
2. 分区类型（绿色保护区G/蓝色开放区B）、礁体名称、生境类别（珊瑚主导礁、柳珊瑚与海鞭群落、低起伏碎石场、藻类草甸、开放沙质海床）、水深（单位：米）、经纬度（部署时船舶的GPS定位坐标）。

鱼类物种根据钓具渔民捕捞并留存的可能性划分为三类：
- 目标物种：（共1703次观测记录，涵盖21个物种）指基于市场价值、体型及礁栖习性判定的最具经济价值的底栖鱼类；
- 兼捕物种：（共5510次观测记录，涵盖85个物种）包含目标物种的小型幼体、钓具渔民捕获的非经济鱼类、用于食用或作饵料的中上层/近中上层鱼类（可活体放生），以及所有可能咬饵的鲨鱼与鳐类；
- 非捕捞物种：（共16635个个体，涵盖251个物种）指因食性偏好或体型过小而几乎不会被钓钩捕获的物种。