Standardised survey procedures for monitoring rocky and coral reef ecological communities

Abstract

This manual describes the standard Reef Life Survey (RLS) methods for estimating densities of fishes, large macroinvertebrates, and sessile communities on rocky and coral reefs. These (and compatible) methods have been used in thousands of surveys all around the world and at some locations for more than 20 years. Visual census techniques such as these provide an effective , non - destructive way to monitor species at shallow - water sites because large amounts of data on a broad range of species can be collected within a short dive period, with little post - processing time required. The broad taxonomic range covered allows detection of human impacts affecting different levels of the food web, making these methods ideal for assessing and monitoring ecological consequences of point source impacts such as pollution, oil spills, ocean warming and coral bleaching events, as well as the effectiveness of management actions such as the declaration of Marine Protected Areas ( MPAs), for example.