Video transect monitoring data from Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef

Coral cover was estimated from fixed transects at five sites on the inner reef flat (A1, B1, C1, D1 and N1), five sites on the outer reef flat (A2, B2, C2, D2 and N2) and four sites on the lower reef slope (H1, H2, H3 and H4) at Heron Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef.

Surveys of the inner and outer reef flat were conducted at previously established monitoring sites. Transects were 30m long on the inner reef flat and 20m long on the outer reef flat. New sites were established on the lower reef slope at depths of 6-9m and transect lengths of 50 m were used. The number of transects per site was six on the inner reef flat, three on the outer reef flat and five on the lower reef slope. Video footage taken of each transect using standard methods was analysed by staff at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, using a point-sampling method to estimate coral cover.

Surveys were conducted in October 1993 (pre-bund wall), November 1994, 1995, 1996 and December 1997 for all sites, with an additional pre-bund wall sampling event at sites H1, H2 and H3 in February 1993.

Surveys were conducted to monitor the response of coral communities to the hydrodynamic and water level changes resulting from redevelopment of the bund wall at Heron Island, which took place between October 1993 and April 1994.

This study was part of a longterm video-monitoring program undertaken jointly by the Queensland Department of Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Video analysis was done under contract by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

Berkelmans, R, Oliver J, Byron G and Olds J (1997) Impact assessment of the Heron Island bund wall on coral communities. Reef Research 7(1): 6-9.

Berkelmans, R, Oliver J, Byron G and Olds J (1998) Heron Island: The history of the bund wall and an impact assessment of its 1993 redevelopment on nearby coral communities. In: Greenwood JG and Hall NJ (eds) Proceedings of the Australian Coral Reef Society 75th Anniversary Conference, Heron Island, October 1997. School of Marine Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.