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

Temporal Range: From 17-Jun-1992 To 28-Jan-2015

Resource Summary

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 planci, 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 planci, 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%

Constraints
Resource Usage

All AIMS data, products and services are provided "as is" and AIMS does not warrant their fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. While AIMS has made every reasonable effort to ensure high quality of the data, products and services, to the extent permitted by law the data, products and services are provided without any warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of title, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. AIMS make no representation or warranty that the data, products and services are accurate, complete, reliable or current. To the extent permitted by law, AIMS exclude all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from the use of the data, products and services.

The data was collected under contract between AIMS and another party(s). Specific agreements for access and use of the data shall be negotiated separately. Contact the AIMS Data Centre (adc@aims.gov.au) for further information

Metadata Usage

All users of AIMS metadata must acknowledge the source of the material in the following manner: "Metadata was sourced from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)."

Format for citation of metadata sourced from Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in a list of reference is as follows: "Australian Institute of Marine Science. [year-of-data-download], [Title], [data-access-URL], accessed (date-of-access]".

Resource Usage:

The data is under exclusive access period. Contact the AIMS Data Centre (adc@aims.gov.au) for possible access to the data within this period.

Access Constraint: restricted
Use Constraint: restricted
Security classification code: unclassified


Metadata Usage:
Security classification code: unclassified

Cite this Record
Copy
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). 2015, AIMS Long-term Monitoring Program: Agents of coral mortality (Great Barrier Reef), https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/5b6f05b0-4ade-11dc-8f56-00008a07204e, accessed 22-May-2019
Related Information
Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 6: Sweatman HPA, Abdo D, Burgess S, Coleman GJ, Delean S, Emslie MJ, Miller IR, Osborne K, Oxley WG, Page CM, Thompson AA, Cheal AJ and Cheal AJ (2004) Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 6. Australian Institute of Marine Science. CD-ROM.
Crown-of-thorns starfish and coral surveys using the manta tow and scuba search techniques. Standard operational procedure No.8: Miller IR (2003) Crown-of-thorns starfish and coral surveys using the manta tow and scuba search techniques. Standard operational procedure No.8. SOP 8. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 43 p.
Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef, Status Report Number 5: Sweatman HPA, Cheal AJ, Coleman GJ, Delean S, Fitzpatrick BM, Miller IR, Ninio R, Osborne K, Page CM and Thompson AA (2001) Long-Term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef, Status Report Number 5. LTM No.5. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 106 p.
Long-term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 4: Sweatman HPA, Cheal AJ, Coleman GJ, Fitzpatrick BM, Miller IR, Ninio R, Osborne K, Page CM, Ryan DAJ, Thompson AA and Tomkins P (2000) Long-term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 4. LTM No. 4. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 117 p.
A guide to the reef monitoring database. Long term monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Standard operational procedure No. 5: Baker VJ and Coleman GJ (2000) A guide to the reef monitoring database. Long term monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Standard operational procedure No. 5. SOP 5. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 72 p.
Long-term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 3: Sweatman HPA, Bass DK, Cheal AJ, Coleman GJ, Miller IR, Ninio R, Osborne K, Oxley WG, Ryan DAJ, Thompson AA and Tomkins P (1998) Long-term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 3. LTM No. 3. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 303 p.
Long-term monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 2: Sweatman HPA (1997) Long-term monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 2. LTM No.2. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 161 p.
The current status of sessile benthic organisms of the Great Barrier Reef: Osborne K, Ninio R and Sweatman HPA (1997) The current status of sessile benthic organisms of the Great Barrier Reef. pp. 124-133. In: Wachenfeld D, Oliver JK and Davis K (eds) State of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Workshop. Proceedings of a technical workshop held in Townsville, Queensland, Australia 27-29 November 1995. GBRMPA Workshop Series. 23. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) populations in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: status report 1995-96: Engelhardt U, Miller IR, Lassig BR, Sweatman HPA and Bass DK (1997) Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) populations in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: status report 1995-96. pp. 158-184. In: Wachenfeld D, Oliver JK and Davis K (eds) State of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Workshop. Proceedings of a technical workshop held in Townsville, Queensland, Australia 27-29 November 1995. GBRMPA Workshop Series. 23. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Long-term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 1: Oliver JK, De'ath AG, Done TJ, Williams DMcB, Furnas MJ and Moran PJ (1995) Long-term Monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 1. LTM No.1. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 121 p.
Crown-of-thorns Starfish, Coral surveys Using the Manta Tow, Scuba Search Techniques. Long term monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Standard operational procedure No. 1: Bass DK and Miller IR (1995) Crown-of-thorns Starfish, Coral surveys Using the Manta Tow, Scuba Search Techniques. Long term monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Standard operational procedure No. 1. SOP 1. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 33 p.
Report on field surveys to locate high density populations of juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) within the central Great Barrier Reef. The Crown-of-thorns study: Johnson DB, Moran PJ, Baker VJ, Christie CA, Miller IR, Miller-Smith BA and Thompson AA (1991) Report on field surveys to locate high density populations of juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) within the central Great Barrier Reef. The Crown-of-thorns study. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 17 p.
Long-term Monitoring of the Great Barrier reef, Status Report: Sweatman HPA, Cheal AJ, Coleman GJ, Emslie MJ, Johns K, Jonker M, Miller IR and Osborne K (2008) Long-term Monitoring of the Great Barrier reef, Status Report. 8. Australian Institute of Marine Science. 369 p.
Thermal Stress and Coral Cover as Drivers of Coral Disease Outbreaks: Bruno JF, Selig ER, Casey KS, Page CM, Willis BL, Harvell CD, Sweatman HPA and Melendy AM (2007) Thermal Stress and Coral Cover as Drivers of Coral Disease Outbreaks. PLoS Biology 5(6): e124.
Analyzing the relationships between ocean temperature anomalies and coral disease outbreaks at broad spatial scales: Selig ER, Harvell CD, Bruno JF, Willis BL, Page CM, Casey KS and Sweatman HPA (2006) Analyzing the relationships between ocean temperature anomalies and coral disease outbreaks at broad spatial scales. pp. 111-128. In: Phinney J, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Kleypas JA, Skirving W and Strong AE (eds) Coral reefs and climate change : Science and management. American Geophysical Union. 244 p.
Long-term monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 7: Sweatman HPA, Burgess S, Cheal AJ, Coleman GJ, Delean S, Emslie MJ, McDonald A, Miller IR, Osborne K and Thompson AA (2005) Long-term monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef. Status Report Number 7. Australian Institute of Marine Science & CRC Reef Research Centre. 257 p.
Additional Information
Update FrequencyAs Needed
Collection StatusOn Going
Sampling Frequency
Credits
Sweatman, Hugh PA, Dr (Custodian)
Point of Contact
Data Manager, Long-Term Monitoring Program
Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
Source CatalogueAIMS Data Catalogue
Lineage
Statement: Originally data was collected annually, after 2005 most reefs are visited every other year.

Because reefs within each region were selected for logistical and historical reasons rather than biological reasons, the survey reefs are deemed likely to be representative of reefs in each of the regions.