2016 SoE Marine Chapter - State and Trends - Offshore banks, shoals, islands

Brief description

The Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Expert Assessment "The state and trends of ecological communities/habitats – offshore banks, shoals, islands". The full Expert Assessment, including figures and tables (where provided), is attached to this record. Where available, the Data Stream(s) used to generate this Expert Assessment are accessible through the "On-line Resources" section of this record.

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DESCRIPTION OF ECOLOGICAL HABITAT/COMMUNITY FOR EXPERT ASSESSMENT
Assemblages of plants and animals found on offshore banks, and shoals around islands, in the 0-25 m depth range. This largely relates to reefs in the Coral Sea, Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, and the offshore reefs in the north and north-west.

DATA STREAM(S) USED IN EXPERT ASSESSMENT
Reef Life Survey data were used for the current status assessment, with extensive spatial coverage of sites on most offshore banks, shoals and Island around the continent where the seabed rises to within 20 m of the surface.

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2016 SOE ASSESSMENT SUMMARY [see attached Expert Assessment for full details]

• 2016 •
Assessment grade: Good
Assessment trend: Stable
Confidence grade: Adequate high-quality evidence or high level of consensus
Confidence trend: Limited evidence or limited consensus
Comparability: Grade and trend are somewhat comparable to the 2011 assessment
• 2011 •
Assessment grade: Good
Assessment trend: Stable
Confidence grade: Limited evidence or limited consensus
Confidence trend: Limited evidence or limited consensus

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CHANGES SINCE 2011 SOE ASSESSMENT
The 2016 assessment is based on an updated and expanded dataset.

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Statement: QUALITY OF DATA USED IN THE ASSESSMENT
Data used to determine state and trend are based on systematic surveys. Methods and associated quality of data produced by those surveys are detailed in the publications provided in the reference list and on the RLS website.

Notes

Purpose
To describe the state and trends in offshore banks, shoals, and islands for use in the Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment report.