Information, Sites and Data

Purpose of the information

The Eye on the Reef program collects data for two main purposes.

To collect “trend and trigger” information for use by Marine Park managers and scientists.
To increase the knowledge and understanding of tourism staff about the sites they visit.

Data are reported back to tourism staff in Nature Diaries that present the general trends observed at their site. This provides an archive of observations that staff can use during training, or during interpretative activities with reef visitors.

The data collected in the Eye on the Reef program are relatively ‘coarse’ data. This means that the data tend to be ‘presence/absence’ data (was it observed?), or estimates of abundance. Collection of more precise data cannot realistically be maintained as it is unrealistic to expect a dive master to consistently undertake an accurate underwater visual census of coral trout while supervising three SCUBA Experience divers who have never been diving. Consequently, the Eye on the Reef sampling design focuses on ‘broad-brush’ indicators.

However, the use of Eye on the Reef as ‘Trend and Trigger’” information capitalises on the Program’s key strength: data that are collected simultaneously at regular intervals across a large number of sites, with sampling effort maintained over long periods.

Regular sampling events combined with wide spatial coverage means that major environmental phenomena can be tracked at fine spatial and temporal scales, providing early warning – ‘Trigger’ information - at the beginning of events. Over time it can provide a clear picture of how long conditions persist and how widespread they are.

In the long-term the data will also help Marine Park managers and scientists to detect ‘Trend’ information. In other words, detecting long term spatial and/or seasonal patterns. For example, the occurrence of certain reef animals or biological phenomena in different parts of the Great Barrier Reef, at different times of the year. This data may be used to supplement more focused, short term research programs by providing the long-term environmental context. Long-term data also provide a baseline for future investigations and could help generate new hypotheses for scientific investigation.

Indicators used

Eye on the Reef data are collected by industry staff at weekly to daily intervals. The data collected are easily recognisable indicators that are either important to monitoring reef health, or have a specific iconic value to the tourism industry. The data are organised into the following categories:

Water quality (temperature and secchi disc visibility)
Reef health indicators (relative abundance of coral bleaching, disease, physical damage, drupella, crown-of-thorns starfish)
Crown-of-thorns starfish predators (estimated numbers of Maori wrasse, starry pufferfish, triton snails)
Reptiles
Fish
Marine Mammals
Others (Jellyfish, Trichodesmium)
Spawning and Mating activity (species, time, estimate numbers, comments on behaviour).

Sites

Eye on the Reef participants monitor 45 sites in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. It should be noted that operators sometimes change sites to reflect operational requirements.

Operator

Reef

Site