A visual survey of demersal biota in the Cairns section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Abstract

We surveyed 50 reefs over the entire Cairns Section. including reefs with a history of closure to extractive uses such as fishing, reefs that had always been open to most uses, and reefs that were to have their zoning status changed under the as amended zoning plan. In so doing. we were also in a position to compare the status. in 1990-91, of reefs with different zoning histories. albeit in the absence of structured baseline data from before the then effective zoning period (1983-91). We surveyed six locations around the perimeter of each reef by well·established and tested underwater visual survey methods.