Study for development and refinement of Coral Baseline and Monitoring Methodology: Part I: Reconnaissance of Reef Benthos as an Aid to Management, and Part II. Close range photogrammetry for Time Series Studies of Coral Communities

Abstract

[Extract] In the period 1976 to the present [1980], the author and others have examined methodologies for the biological characterization of coral reefs at scales ranging from square meters to tens of square kilometres. This paper, which is part I of a two part report, describes an application of the 'manta-tow' method for characterizing reefs at a scale between these two extremes. This application has been developed under the auspices of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and is now a major tool in their reef reconnaissance programme. [Extract] This paper is Part II of a report to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. It relates the status of a photogrammetric monitoring programme partly developed during the course of the project.