Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Deep-Water Inter-Reef

The Reef Authority's 2050 plan and QLD fisheries identified a critical need for information on key fish species and communities in under-surveyed areas of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Funding through the reef trust partnership was distributed by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to AIMS to lead a 3-tiered, highly collaborative Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program (IMR) with the goal of providing better data that can be used for stakeholders. One of these tiers focused on obtaining data on the deep-water inter-reef habitats of the GBR. Legacy data from AIMS, fisheries data and known habitat models of the GBR were used to select candidate sites for monitoring fish along all 3 major latitudinal regions of the GBR. These sites were surveyed using multibeam sonar to identify features, resulting in 36 target sites to develop baselines for future monitoring to be repeated over two years. Using the multibeam data, a spatially balanced sampling design was then developed to survey the selected areas using Baited Remote Underwater Video. 1545 stereo-BRUV drops were completed within the 36 sites over a two-year period. Multibeam derivatives, environmental covariates, and benthic habitat classification has been extracted and linked to the site metadata. Data will be analysed for key fish species (commercial, recreational, conservation and cultural importance) and fish community relative abundance, taking a focused look at how zoning and remoteness influences populations and size of individuals.

昆士兰州渔业部门与珊瑚礁管理局（The Reef Authority）在其2050年规划中，发现大堡礁海洋公园（Great Barrier Reef Marine Park）内调查不足区域的关键鱼类物种与群落相关信息存在严重缺口。依托珊瑚礁信托伙伴关系获得的资助，大堡礁基金会（Great Barrier Reef Foundation）将资金拨付给澳大利亚海洋科学研究所（AIMS），牵头实施一项三级协同式综合监测与报告计划（Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program, IMR），旨在为利益相关方提供更优质的可用数据。该计划的其中一个层级聚焦于采集大堡礁（GBR）深水礁间栖息地的相关数据。研究团队借助澳大利亚海洋科学研究所的历史遗留数据、渔业数据以及已有的大堡礁栖息地模型，在大堡礁的三大主要纬度区域内遴选鱼类监测候选点位。研究团队使用多波束声呐（multibeam sonar）对这些候选点位开展勘测以识别地形特征，最终选定36个目标点位以建立未来监测的基准基线，该监测将在两年内重复开展。依托多波束声呐获取的数据，研究团队设计了空间均衡采样方案，采用诱饵式远程水下视频（Baited Remote Underwater Video, BRUV）对选定区域开展勘测。在两年周期内，36个目标点位共计完成1545次立体诱饵式远程水下视频（stereo-BRUV）投放作业。研究人员已提取多波束声呐衍生数据、环境协变量以及底栖栖息地分类结果，并将其与点位元数据进行关联整合。后续将针对具有商业、休闲、保护及文化价值的关键鱼类物种以及鱼类群落相对丰度开展数据分析，重点探究海域分区与偏远程度对鱼类种群规模及个体体型的影响。