Status of fringing reefs in the Northumberland Islands, southern Great Barrier Reef

Brief description

Fringing reefs surrounding islands within the Northumberland Islands group were surveyed in September 2000. The Northumberland Islands occupy a relatively large area (approx 9000 km²). In order to get good geographic coverage of reefs, a sub-sample of islands was targeted within three distinct zones at various distances from Broad Sound and the coast.\nThe study zones were:\n1. near-shore islands immediately adjacent to the coast (within 3km, Temple Island group and West Hill Island)\n2. mid-shore islands located approximately midway between the coast and the outer limit of the Northumberland Islands (Knight Island, Curlew Island and Poynter Island)\n3. offshore islands on the seaward side of the Northumberland Islands group bordering the lagoon of the GBR (Prudhoe Island, Pine Peak Island and South Percy Island).\n\nSurveys used one or more of the following techniques to gain a broadscale overview of reef habitat around island perimeters and to identify areas of fringing reef that would be suitable for long-term monitoring:\n\n1. Broadscale surveys used manta tow or, if visibility was less than 6m, spot checks. For manta tow surveys, the variables recorded included crown-of-thorns starfish counts, estimates of live coral, dead coral and soft coral cover, and the number of bleached corals. During spot checks, observers recorded substrate type and associated benthic organisms, but did not estimate coral cover.\n\n2. Detailed surveys were carried out along a series of 50m transects at each reef. Benthic organisms occurring along the transects were recorded on video for later analysis. Fish were also identified along each transect, however fish abundance was not recorded.

Full description

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