Development of trap and drop-line sampling techniques for reef fishes : a report to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Abstract

The aim of this project was to explore the value of fish traps and drop-lines for monitoring changes in catch rates of fish species of commercial and recreational importance on the central Great Barrier Reef. Emphasis of the study was on: 1) quantifying the catch variability within a single depth zone on two different reefs 2) determining the (statistical) sampling power of the traps to detect changes in catch rates, and 3) determining the extent to which spatially stratifying sampling within the depth zone could increase the power to detect change.