Coral Communities at Scott Reef and Rowley Shoals: Initial descriptions and results of a pilot study

Surveys of coral community composition and structure were carried out at Scott Reef and two reefs in the Rowley Shoals group (Mermaid Reef, Clerke Reef) using visual and video surveys. The AIMS surveys are the first quantitative assessments of coral community structure on northwest Australian offshore reefs, previous coral surveys being largely concerned with taxonomic and biogeographic problems. 243 species of coral were recorded on Scott Reef and 235 species on the Rowley Shoals reefs.采用目视与视频调查手段，针对斯科特礁（Scott Reef）及罗利沙洲群（Rowley Shoals group）内的两座礁体——美人鱼礁（Mermaid Reef）与克拉克礁（Clerke Reef）——开展了珊瑚群落组成与结构调查。本次AIMS调查是澳大利亚西北近海离岸礁体珊瑚群落结构的首次定量评估，此前的珊瑚调查大多聚焦于分类学与生物地理学相关研究问题。斯科特礁共记录到珊瑚243种，罗利沙洲群礁体则记录到235种珊瑚。