AIMS Long-term Monitoring Program: Agents of coral mortality (Great Barrier Reef)

In 6 sectors of the Great Barrier Reef (Cooktown/Lizard island, Cairns, Townsville, Whitsunday, Swain and Capricorn Bunker) 49 of the key manta tow reefs are designated 'core' survey reefs and are also surveyed using the scuba search technique. Where possible, three or more reefs in each sector have been selected in each of three positions across the continental shelf: inshore, mid-shelf and outer shelf.

Results of scuba searches for juvenile Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS), Acanthaster cf. solaris, and the mollusc Drupella. Observations have been obtained since October 1989 and are ongoing.

Data includes counts of COTS and Drupella, coral feeding scars caused by COTS and Drupella, and the outbreaking status of COTS and Drupella. Also recorded are the percentage of bleached coral and the number of corals affected by disease. Diseases identified are: white syndrome, black band, skeletal eroding band and brown band. Any scar of unknown origin is also recorded.

Information is also recorded about the reef environment of each survey (e.g. reef slope, substratum at reef base) and its benthic community (dominant benthic group, dominant hard coral, dominant coral life form).

To facilitate causes of coral mortality including juvenile and adult Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS), Acanthaster cf. solaris, and the mollusc Drupella.

To assess the amount of coral bleaching and disease.

Bleaching is recorded as a percentage of the total hard coral cover: 0=absent, 0+ = individual colonies, -1= 1-5%, +1= 6-10%, 2=11-30%, 3=31-50%, 4 =51-75%, 5=76-100%

大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef）共划分为6个分区，分别为库克敦/蜥蜴岛（Cooktown/Lizard Island）、凯恩斯（Cairns）、汤斯维尔（Townsville）、惠森迪（Whitsunday）、斯温（Swain）以及摩羯座邦克尔（Capricorn Bunker）。其中49处关键蝠鲼拖曳调查礁被划定为“核心”调查礁，同时采用水肺搜索技术开展调查。在条件允许的情况下，每个分区均在大陆架的近岸、陆架中部和外陆架三个位置各选取至少3处珊瑚礁。

本数据集包含针对幼体长棘海星（Crown-of-Thorns Starfish，COTS）*Acanthaster cf. solaris*以及软体动物*Drupella*的水肺搜索结果。观测工作自1989年10月起开展，目前仍在持续进行中。

数据集内容涵盖长棘海星与*Drupella*的数量统计、二者造成的珊瑚摄食伤痕，以及长棘海星和*Drupella*的爆发状态。此外还记录了珊瑚白化百分比与患病珊瑚的数量。已识别的珊瑚病害包括：白色综合征（white syndrome）、黑带病（black band）、骨骼侵蚀带病（skeletal eroding band）以及棕带病（brown band）。任何来源不明的伤痕也会被一并记录。

本次调查还记录了各调查点的珊瑚礁环境（如礁坡、礁基底质）以及底栖生物群落（优势底栖类群、优势造礁珊瑚、优势珊瑚生活型）信息。

本调查旨在明确珊瑚死亡的成因，包括幼体与成体长棘海星（COTS，*Acanthaster cf. solaris*）以及软体动物*Drupella*的影响；同时评估珊瑚白化与病害的发生程度。

白化程度以造礁珊瑚总覆盖占比进行分级记录：0表示无白化，0+表示存在单个珊瑚白化群体，-1表示白化占比1%-5%，+1表示6%-10%，2表示11%-30%，3表示31%-50%，4表示51%-75%，5表示76%-100%