Benthic cover and fish density on fringing reefs of inshore island groups of the GBR, 1999 – 2014 (NERP 8.2, JCU)

This dataset consists of site and zone means of the percent cover of major benthic categories and the density of fish functional groups on fringing coral reefs of the Keppel, Whitsunday and Palm Island groups, as a result of monitoring surveys carried out between 1999 and 2014. \r\n\r\nThis data extract summarises the results of a long-term monitoring project that assesses the effects of no-take marine reserve zoning in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. \r\n\r\nSpatial zoning for multiple-use is the cornerstone of management for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). Multiple-use zoning was first implemented widely in the GBRMP in the late 1980’s and this original zoning plan was in place until 2004, when the marine park was completely rezoned under the Representative Areas Program (RAP). The overall proportion of the marine park area assigned into NTRs was increased from around 5% (~ 25% of the coral reefs) to 33.4%. The need to objectively assess the ecological consequences of zoning management has attracted an increasing amount of research effort in recent years. Critical knowledge gaps still remain however, and research is required to determine how and to what extent NTR networks may help to protect biodiversity, sustain stocks of fished species and increase ecosystem resilience. \r\n\r\nThis project was established in 1999 and expanded in 2004, with the primary objective of providing a robust assessment of the ecological effects of multiple-use zoning on inshore coral reefs of the GBRMP. The project uses underwater visual census (UVC) to provide a spatially and temporally replicated assessment of fish and benthic communities and will include concurrent surveys of coral health within no-take (Green) and fished (Blue) zones on high-use inshore reefs. It is one of the few long-term monitoring projects specifically assessing the effects of zoning management within the GBRMP and the only one with a solid baseline data set that was established prior to the implementation of the 2004 zoning management plan.\r\n\r\n\r\nMethods:\r\n\r\nUnderwater visual census (UVC) was used to survey reef fish and benthic communities on fringing coral reefs of the Palm, Magnetic, Whitsunday and Keppel Island groups. Within each island group, sites are evenly distributed between zones that have remained open to fishing (General Use and Conservation Park zones), NTRs that were closed to fishing in 1987, and NTRs that were established in 2004 (Marine National Park zones).\r\n\r\nWithin each site UVC surveys were conducted using 5 replicate transects (50m x 6m, 300m2 survey area). Transects were deployed on the reef slope between approximately 4 and 12 metres depth. Using SCUBA, two observers recorded approximately 190 species of fish from 15 Families (Acanthuridae, Balistidae, Chaetodontidae, Haemulidae, Labridae, Lethrinidae, Lutjanidae, Mullidae, Nemipteridae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae, Scaridae, Serranidae, Siganidae and Zanclidae). A third diver (observer 3) swam directly behind observers one and two, deploying the transect tapes. This UVC technique reduces diver avoidance or attraction behaviour of the surveyed fish species. To increase accuracy of the fish counts, the species list was divided between the two fish observers. Observer one surveyed the fish families Haemulidae, Lethrinidae, Lutjanidae, Mullidae, Nemipteridae, Serranidae and the larger species of Labridae targeted by fishers. Observer two surveyed the families Acanthuridae, Balistidae, Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae, Scaridae, Siganidae, Zanclidae and small ‘non-targeted’ species of Labridae. Pomacentrids and small labrids were recorded by observer two during return transect swims within a 2m band (1m either side of the tape, 100m2 survey area). \r\n\r\nBroad-scale structural complexity of the reef habitat was estimated by observer one using a simple method that applied a rank (1-5) to both the angle of the reef slope and the rugosity for each ten-metre section of each transect. Observer three utilised a line intercept survey method to record a benthic point sample every metre along each transect tape (50 samples per transect).Benthos sampled in the benthic survey was live and dead hard coral within morphological categories (branching, plate, solitary, tabular, massive, foliose, encrusting) live soft coral, sponges, clams (Tridacna spp.), other invertebrates (such as ascidians and anemones), macro-algae, coral reef pavement, rock, rubble and sand.\r\n\r\n\r\nLimitations:\r\n\r\nNot all island groups could be surveyed in each year, usually due to funding limitations and unpredictable weather events.\r\n\r\n\r\nFormat:\r\n\r\nThe data are contained within two worksheets of an Excel file (215 kB). All benthic data is in % cover, and fish data are in density (individuals per 1000 m2). The first worksheet shows the data averaged for each site, and the second worksheet has average values for each zone (Fished, NTR 1987 and NTR 2004).\r\n\r\n\r\nData Dictionary:\r\n\r\nNames in rounded brackets () are the matching names in the shapefile. This was done to meet the 10 character limitation of this format.\r\n\r\n- SE - Standard Error\r\n- mean - Mean over the transects at a site.\r\n- Total Fish Densit_mean (TFishDenMn)\r\n- Total Fish Densit_SE (TFishDenSE)\r\n- Fish Species richness_mean (FishRichMn)\r\n- Fish Species richness_SE (FishRichSE)\r\n- Fishery Target Spp_mean (FishTargMn) - Pooled group of fish species designated as 'Primary target’ in the species list file. \r\n- Fishery Target Spp_SE (FishTargSE)\r\n- Grazers_mean (GrazersMn) - Pooled group of fish species listed as ‘grazers’ in the species list\r\n- Grazers_SE (GrazersSE)\r\n- Corallivores_mean (CorallivMn)\r\n- Coraliivores_SE (CorallivSE)\r\n- Planktivores_mean (PlanktivMn)\r\n- Planktivores_SE (PlanktivSE)\r\n- Territorial Pomacentrids_mean (TerrPomaMn)\r\n- Territorial Pomacentrids_SE (TerrPomaSE)\r\n- Plectropomus spp_mean (PlectSppMn)\r\n- Plectropomus spp_SE (PlectSppSE)\r\n- SCI_mean - Structural complexity Index.. An index (1-25) calculated by multiplying our visual estimates of reef slope angle (1-5) by reef slope rugosity (Complexity 1-5). These values are estimated for each 10m section of each 50m transect. 5 transects per site = 25 SCI estimates per site. The e-atlas data we have provided is site means… i.e.. the mean of those 25 values. \r\n- LCC - Live coral cover (percent cover), live hard and soft coral pooled.\r\n- LHC - Live hard coral cover (%), live hard coral only. \r\n- MAC - Macro Algae Cover % (fleshy algas only, does not include turf algae)\r\n- Fish Line_SUM - is the pooled number of lines recorded on the 5 transects surveyed at each site. = total number of lines/1500m2.\r\n- Line Accumulation Rate - number of lines accumulated per month.\r\n\r\n\r\nReferences:\r\n\r\n1.\tWilliamson D.H., Ceccarelli D.M., Evans, R.D., Jones, G.P., Russ, G.R. (2014). Habitat dynamics, marine reserve status, and the decline and recovery of coral reef fish communities. Ecology & Evolution 4: 337-354.\r\n\r\n2.\tHassell N.S., Williamson D.H., Evans R.D., Russ G.R. (2013). Reliability of non-expert observer estimates of the magnitude of marine reserve effects. Coastal Management 41(4): 361-380.\r\n\r\n3.\tWen C.K., Almany G.R., Williamson D.H., Pratchett M.S., Mannering T.D., Evans R.D., Leis J.M., Srinivasan M., Jones G.P. (2013). Recruitment hotspots boost the effectiveness of no-take marine reserves. Biological Conservation 166: 124-131.\r\n\r\n4.\tWen C.K., Almany G.R., Williamson D.H., Pratchett M.S., Jones G.P. (2012). Evaluating the effects of marine reserves on diet, prey availability and prey selection by juvenile predatory fishes. Marine Ecology Progress Series 469: 133-144.\r\n\r\n5.\tHarrison H.B., Williamson D.H., Evans R.D., Almany G.R., Thorrold S.R., Russ G.R., Feldheim K.A., van Herwerden L., Planes S., Srinivasan M., Berumen M.L., Jones G.P. (2012). Larval Export From Marine Reserves and the Recruitment Benefit for Fish and Fisheries. Current Biology 22: 1023-1028.\r\n\r\n6.\tCeccarelli D.M., Williamson D.H. (2012). Sharks that eat sharks: Opportunistic predation by wobbegongs. Coral Reefs 31: 471.\r\n\r\n7.\tMcCook L.J., Ayling A.M., Cappo M., Choat J.H., Evans R.D., De Freitas D.M., Heupel M., Hughes T.P., Jones G.P., Mapstone B., Marsh H., Mills M., Molloy F., Pitcher C.R., Pressey R.L., Russ G.R., Sutton S., Sweatman H., Tobin R., Wachenfeld D.R., Williamson D.H. (2010). Adaptive management of the Great Barrier Reef: A globally significant demonstration of the benefits of networks of marine reserves. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) 107: 18278-18285.\r\n\r\n8.\tDiaz-Pulido G., McCook L.J., Dove S., Berkelmans R., Roff G., Kline D.I., Weeks S., Evans R., Williamson D.H., Hoegh-Guldberg O. (2009). Doom and Boom on a Resilient Reef: Climate Change, Algal Overgrowth and Coral Recovery. PLoS ONE 4: e5239. \r\n\r\n9.\tChin A., Sweatman H., Forbes S., Perks H., Walker R., Jones G.P., Williamson D.H., Evans R.D., Hartley F., Armstrong S., Malcolm H., Edgar G.J. (2008). Status of coral reefs in Australia and Papua New Guinea. In: Status of the coral reefs of the world: 2008 (ed. Wilkinson, C.), Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network and Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Townsville, 296pp.\r\n\r\n10.\tRuss G.R., Cheal A.J., Dolman A.M., Emslie M.J., Evans R.D., Miller I., Sweatman H., Williamson D.H. (2008). Rapid increase in fish numbers follows creation of world's largest marine reserve network. Current Biology 18: 514-515. \r\n\r\n11.\tWilliamson D.H., Evans R.D., Russ G.R. (2006). Monitoring the ecological effects of management zoning: Initial surveys of reef fish and benthic communities on reefs in the Townsville and Cairns regions of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Report to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) 67pp.\r\n\r\n12.\tWilliamson D.H., Russ G.R., Ayling A.M. (2004). No-take marine reserves increase abundance and biomass of reef fish on inshore fringing reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. Environmental Conservation 31: 149-159. \r\n\r\n13.\tDavis K.L.F., Russ G.R., Williamson D.H., Evans R.D. (2004). Surveillance and poaching on inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Coastal Management 32: 373-387.

本数据集涵盖了1999年至2014年间开展的监测调查所获得的凯珀尔岛群（Keppel）、圣灵群岛（Whitsunday）与棕榈岛（Palm Island）群岸礁的主要底栖类群盖度百分比，以及鱼类功能群密度的样点与区域均值。

本数据提取结果总结了一项长期监测项目的成果，该项目旨在评估大堡礁海洋公园（Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, GBRMP）内禁捕海洋保护区（no-take marine reserve, NTR）分区的生态效应。

多用途空间分区是大堡礁海洋公园（GBRMP）管理的基石。多用途分区于1980年代末在GBRMP首次广泛实施，最初的分区计划沿用至2004年，当年大堡礁海洋公园在代表性区域计划（Representative Areas Program, RAP）下完成全面重新分区。禁捕区占海洋公园总面积的比例从约5%（约占珊瑚礁总面积的25%）提升至33.4%。近年来，客观评估分区管理的生态后果的需求推动了大量研究投入，但目前仍存在关键知识空白，仍需开展研究以明确禁捕保护区网络如何、在多大程度上能够保护生物多样性、维持捕捞物种种群规模并提升生态系统恢复力。

本项目于1999年启动，2004年扩项，核心目标是对多用途分区对GBRMP近岸珊瑚礁的生态效应开展稳健评估。项目采用水下视觉普查（Underwater Visual Census, UVC）对鱼类与底栖群落开展时空重复采样，并将同步调查高利用度近岸礁的禁捕（绿色）区与捕捞（蓝色）区内的珊瑚健康状况。本项目是GBRMP内少数专门评估分区管理效应的长期监测项目之一，也是唯一在2004年分区管理计划实施前就建立了可靠基线数据集的项目。

调查方法：

水下视觉普查（UVC）被用于调查棕榈岛、磁岛、圣灵群岛与凯珀尔岛群岸礁的鱼类与底栖群落。在每个岛群内，样点均匀分布于三类区域：持续允许捕捞的区域（通用利用区与保护公园区）、1987年起禁捕的禁捕海洋保护区（NTR），以及2004年设立的禁捕海洋保护区（海洋国家公园区）。

每个样点采用5条重复样带（50m×6m，采样面积300m²）开展UVC调查。样带布置在礁坡上，水深约4至12米。采用水肺潜水，两名观察员记录15个科共约190种鱼类：刺尾鱼科（Acanthuridae）、鳞鲀科（Balistidae）、蝴蝶鱼科（Chaetodontidae）、石鲈科（Haemulidae）、隆头鱼科（Labridae）、裸颊鲷科（Lethrinidae）、笛鲷科（Lutjanidae）、羊鱼科（Mullidae）、金线鱼科（Nemipteridae）、盖刺鱼科（Pomacanthidae）、雀鲷科（Pomacentridae）、鹦嘴鱼科（Scaridae）、鮨科（Serranidae）、篮子鱼科（Siganidae）与镰鱼科（Zanclidae）。第三名潜水员（观察员3）在观察员1、2后方直接跟随，布设样带卷尺。该UVC技术可降低调查鱼类的趋避行为。为提升鱼类计数精度，两名鱼类观察员分工负责不同类群：观察员1负责记录石鲈科、裸颊鲷科、笛鲷科、羊鱼科、金线鱼科、鮨科以及渔民捕捞的大型隆头鱼科物种；观察员2负责记录刺尾鱼科、鳞鲀科、蝴蝶鱼科、盖刺鱼科、雀鲷科、鹦嘴鱼科、篮子鱼科、镰鱼科以及小型非捕捞隆头鱼科物种。观察员2在返回样带的过程中，在样带两侧各1米的2米宽范围内（采样面积100m²）记录雀鲷科与小型隆头鱼科物种。

礁栖息地的大尺度结构复杂度由观察员1采用简易方法估算：对每条样带每10米区段的礁坡角度与粗糙度分别赋值1-5分，最终结构复杂度指数为两者乘积。观察员3采用样线截距法，沿每条样带卷尺每1米记录1次底栖生物点样（每条样带50个采样点）。本次底栖生物调查涵盖的类群包括：按形态分类的活、死硬珊瑚（分枝状、平板状、单体状、桌状、团块状、叶状、皮壳状）、活软珊瑚、海绵、砗磲（Tridacna spp.）、其他无脊椎动物（如被囊动物与海葵）、大型藻类、珊瑚礁岩坪、岩石、碎石与沙质沉积物。

局限性：

并非每年都能对所有岛群开展调查，通常受限于经费不足与不可预测的恶劣天气事件。

数据格式：

数据存储于一个Excel文件的两个工作表中（215 kB）。所有底栖生物数据以盖度百分比表示，鱼类数据以密度表示（单位：个体/1000 m²）。第一个工作表展示每个样点的均值数据，第二个工作表展示每个区域（捕捞区、1987年设立的禁捕区与2004年设立的禁捕区）的均值数据。

数据字典：

圆括号内的名称为与shapefile匹配的字段名，此举是为了适配该格式10个字符的命名限制。

- SE：标准误（Standard Error）
- mean：样点内所有样带的均值
- Total Fish Densit_mean (TFishDenMn)：总鱼类密度均值
- Total Fish Densit_SE (TFishDenSE)：总鱼类密度标准误
- Fish Species richness_mean (FishRichMn)：鱼类物种丰富度均值
- Fish Species richness_SE (FishRichSE)：鱼类物种丰富度标准误
- Fishery Target Spp_mean (FishTargMn)：渔业目标物种均值：物种列表中被归类为‘主要捕捞目标’的鱼类类群总均值
- Fishery Target Spp_SE (FishTargSE)：渔业目标物种标准误
- Grazers_mean (GrazersMn)：植食性鱼类均值：物种列表中被归类为‘植食者’的鱼类类群总均值
- Grazers_SE (GrazersSE)：植食性鱼类标准误
- Corallivores_mean (CorallivMn)：食珊瑚鱼类均值
- Corallivores_SE (CorallivSE)：食珊瑚鱼类标准误
- Planktivores_mean (PlanktivMn)：浮游生物食性鱼类均值
- Planktivores_SE (PlanktivSE)：浮游生物食性鱼类标准误
- Territorial Pomacentrids_mean (TerrPomaMn)：领域性雀鲷均值
- Territorial Pomacentrids_SE (TerrPomaSE)：领域性雀鲷标准误
- Plectropomus spp_mean (PlectSppMn)：鳃棘鲈属（Plectropomus spp.）物种均值
- Plectropomus spp_SE (PlectSppSE)：鳃棘鲈属物种标准误
- SCI_mean：结构复杂度指数（Structural Complexity Index）：该指数（1-25）由礁坡角度视觉估算值（1-5）与礁坡粗糙度（1-5）相乘得到。每条50米样带每10米区段可获得1个SCI值，每个样点设置5条样带，因此每个样点共25个SCI值，本数据集提供的e-atlas数据为该25个值的样点均值。
- LCC：活珊瑚盖度（Live Coral Cover）：活硬珊瑚与活软珊瑚总盖度百分比
- LHC：活硬珊瑚盖度（Live Hard Coral Cover）：仅统计活硬珊瑚的盖度百分比
- MAC：大型藻类盖度百分比（Macro Algae Cover %）：仅统计肉质藻类，不包含表层藻（turf algae）
- Fish Line_SUM：每个样点5条样带记录的总样线数，即总样线数/1500m²
- Line Accumulation Rate：每月累计样线数

参考文献：

1. Williamson D.H., Ceccarelli D.M., Evans, R.D., Jones, G.P., Russ, G.R. (2014). 栖息地动态、海洋保护区状态与珊瑚礁鱼类群落的兴衰与恢复. 《生态学与进化》（Ecology & Evolution）4: 337-354.
2. Hassell N.S., Williamson D.H., Evans R.D., Russ G.R. (2013). 非专业观察员对海洋保护区效应评估的可靠性. 《海岸管理》（Coastal Management）41(4): 361-380.
3. Wen C.K., Almany G.R., Williamson D.H., Pratchett M.S., Mannering T.D., Evans R.D., Leis J.M., Srinivasan M., Jones G.P. (2013). 补充热点提升禁捕海洋保护区的有效性. 《生物保护》（Biological Conservation）166: 124-131.
4. Wen C.K., Almany G.R., Williamson D.H., Pratchett M.S., Jones G.P. (2012). 评估海洋保护区对幼体捕食鱼类食性、猎物可获得性与猎物选择的影响. 《海洋生态学进展系列》（Marine Ecology Progress Series）469: 133-144.
5. Harrison H.B., Williamson D.H., Evans R.D., Almany G.R., Thorrold S.R., Russ G.R., Feldheim K.A., van Herwerden L., Planes S., Srinivasan M., Berumen M.L., Jones G.P. (2012). 海洋保护区的幼虫输出与对鱼类及渔业的补充效益. 《当代生物学》（Current Biology）22: 1023-1028.
6. Ceccarelli D.M., Williamson D.H. (2012). 捕食鲨鱼的鲨鱼：斑鳍鲨的机会性捕食行为. 《珊瑚礁》（Coral Reefs）31: 471.
7. McCook L.J., Ayling A.M., Cappo M., Choat J.H., Evans R.D., De Freitas D.M., Heupel M., Hughes T.P., Jones G.P., Mapstone B., Marsh H., Mills M., Molloy F., Pitcher C.R., Pressey R.L., Russ G.R., Sutton S., Sweatman H., Tobin R., Wachenfeld D.R., Williamson D.H. (2010). 大堡礁的适应性管理：全球范围内海洋保护区网络效益的重要示范. 《美国国家科学院院刊》（Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, PNAS）107: 18278-18285.
8. Diaz-Pulido G., McCook L.J., Dove S., Berkelmans R., Roff G., Kline D.I., Weeks S., Evans R., Williamson D.H., Hoegh-Guldberg O. (2009). 恢复力型珊瑚礁上的兴衰：气候变化、藻类过度增殖与珊瑚恢复. 《公共科学图书馆·综合》（PLoS ONE）4: e5239.
9. Chin A., Sweatman H., Forbes S., Perks H., Walker R., Jones G.P., Williamson D.H., Evans R.D., Hartley F., Armstrong S., Malcolm H., Edgar G.J. (2008). 澳大利亚与巴布亚新几内亚的珊瑚礁现状. 收录于：《2008年全球珊瑚礁现状》（ed. Wilkinson, C.）, 全球珊瑚礁监测网络与珊瑚礁与雨林研究中心, 汤斯维尔, 296页.
10. Russ G.R., Cheal A.J., Dolman A.M., Emslie M.J., Evans R.D., Miller I., Sweatman H., Williamson D.H. (2008). 全球最大海洋保护区网络设立后鱼类数量的快速增长. 《当代生物学》（Current Biology）18: 514-515.
11. Williamson D.H., Evans R.D., Russ G.R. (2006). 评估管理分区的生态效应：大堡礁海洋公园汤斯维尔与凯恩斯区域礁体的鱼类与底栖群落初始调查. 提交给大堡礁海洋公园管理局（Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, GBRMPA）的报告, 67页.
12. Williamson D.H., Russ G.R., Ayling A.M. (2004). 禁捕海洋保护区提升大堡礁近岸岸礁的鱼类丰度与生物量. 《环境保护》（Environmental Conservation）31: 149-159.
13. Davis K.L.F., Russ G.R., Williamson D.H., Evans R.D. (2004). 大堡礁海洋公园近岸礁体的监视与偷捕行为. 《海岸管理》（Coastal Management）32: 373-387.