Assessing the effects of changes in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning plans on southern mid-shelf shoals using Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS) (TM) (MTSRF Project 4.8.2)

Surveys were undertaken in February/March and August/September 2007 (Autumn and Spring) and October 2009 (Spring) on two pairs of discrete deepwater shoals in the mid-shelf section of the southern Great Barrier Reef - East and West Warregos; Karamea and Barcoo Banks. Within each pair, one shoal was from a 'Green' (closed to all fishing) and the other from a 'Blue' (open to fishing) zone, based on the rezoning carried out in 2004. The demersal vertebrate communities were sampled using non-extractive Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS), which revealed a diverse (c250 species) fauna of fish, sharks, rays and seasnakes.Variables recorded:Habitat composition of underlying substratum (sand, rubble, consolidated outcrop or reef), and epibenthic community (hard coral, soft coral, sponge, macroalgae, whips and gorgonians, encrusting organisms, bare substratum) - estimated from BRUVS field of view as percentage cover of each component, to nearest 10%.Zone (Green, G; or Blue, B); Reef name; Habitat class (coral - coral dominated reef; garden - gorgonian and seawhip garden; rubble - low relief rubble field; sand - open sandy seabed); Depth (m; or shallow, deep); Latitude and longitude (ship's GPS position at deployment); Trip (1 - February, autumn; 2 - August/September, spring). In some (stereo) BRUVs the size of fishes was recorded (mm).Fish species were placed in categories depending on the likelihood of being caught and retained by line fishers:(a) 'Highly sought after reef dwelling species' - the most desirable reef dwelling species based on eating qualities and size, as well as their reef dwelling habits.(b) 'Sought after reef dwelling and pelagic species' - as in (a) plus pelagic and semi-pelagic species, and smaller, acceptable food fishes.(c) 'All species considered likely to be caught by line fishers including by-catch' - as in (b) plus the undesirable fishes that form by-catch.(d) 'Species considered unlikely to be caught by line fishers' - all species unlikely to be hooked because of their dietary preferences or small size.
 To describe the fish fauna in relation to habitat and spatial and temporal variables on selected deep shoals of the GBRMP.To present baseline fish community data from BRUVS surveys of two pairs of 'blue'(open to fishing) and 'green' (closed to fishing) zoned shoals in the GBRMP.
 This is one component in a series of surveys conducted as part of this MTSRF project, see also separate metadata records on:Reef base shoals (Capricorn-Bunker, Pompey and Swains Groups) Shoals off Cardwell Shoals off Cairns Magnetic Shoals (Townsville)Note that the 'Northern Shoals' of Cardwell, Cairns, and Magnetic Shoals have individual records as each region was analysed separately.Fish identified (note that not all species/families were recorded at all locations):Anguilliformes: Muraenidae (moray eels) Gymnothorax favagineus, G. javanicus, G. undulatusAulopiformes: Synodontidae (lizardfishes) Synodus variegatusBeryciformes: Holocentridae (squirrelfishes) Sargocentron melanospilos; S. rubrumCarcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae (whaler sharks) Carcharhinus albimarginatus, C. amblyrhynchos, C. leucas, C. plumbeus; Galeocerdo cuvier; Triaenodon obesus - Sphyrnidae (hammerhead sharks) Sphyrna mokarranGasterosteiformes: Aulostomidae (trumpetfishes) Aulostomus chinensis - Fistulariidae (flutemouths) Fistularia commersoniiMyliobatiformes: Dasyatidae Dasyatis kuhlii; Himantura fai; Pastinachus sephen; Taeniura meyeni - Mobulidae Manta birostris - Myliobatidae (manta and eagle rays) Aetobatus narinariOrectolobiformes: Ginglymostomatidae (nurse sharks) Nebrius ferrugineus - Hemiscylliidae (catsharks) Chiloscyllium punctatumPerciformes: Acanthuridae (surgeon-fishes) Acanthurus albipectoralis, A. auranticavus, A. dussumieri, A. mata, A. olivaceus, A. thompsoni, A. xanthopterus; Ctenochaetus striatus; Naso annulatus, N. brevirostris, N. caesius, N. lituratus, N. tuberosus, N. unicornis; Paracanthurus hepatus; Prionurus maculatus; P. microlepidotus; Zebrasoma scopas - Apogonidae (cardinal fishes) Apogon capricornis, doederleini, exostigma, notatus - Blenniidae (blennies) Aspidontus taeniatus - Caesionidae (fusiliers) Caesio cuning; Pterocaesio chrysozona, P. marri, P. trilineata - Carangidae (trevallies) Carangoides chrysophrys; C. coeruleopinnatus, C. dinema, C. fulvoguttatus, C. gymnostethus; Caranx ignobilis; Decapterus russelli; Elagatis bipinnulata; Gnathanodon speciosus; Pseudocaranx dentex; Scomberoides tol; Selaroides leptolepis; Seriola dumerili, S. lalandi, S. rivoliana; Seriolina nigrofasciata - Chaetodontidae (butterflyfishes) Chaetodon aureofasciatus, C. auriga, C. flavirostris, C. guentheri, C. kleinii, C. lineolatus, C. lunulatus, C. melannotus, C. ornatissimus, C. pelewensis, C. plebeius, C. rainfordi, C. speculum, C. trifascialis, C. unimaculatus, C. vagabundus; Chelmon rostratus; Coradion altivelis, C. chrysozonus; Forcipiger longirostris; Heniochus acuminatus; Parachaetodon ocellatus - Cheilodactylidae (morwongs) Cheilodactylus vestitus - Echeneidae (suckerfishes) Echeneis naucrates - Ephippidae (batfishes) Platax orbicularis, P. teira - Grammistidae (soapfishes) Diploprion bifasciatum - Haemulidae (sweetlips) Plectorhinchus flavomaculatus; P. gibbosus - Kyphosidae (drummers) Kyphosus vaigiensis - Labridae (wrasses and tuskfish) Anampses caeruleopunctatus; Bodianus axillaris, B. diana, B. mesothorax, B. perditio; Cheilinus fasciatus, C. undulates; Choerodon cephalotes, C. fasciatus, C. gomoni, C. graphicus, C. monostigma, C. schoenleinii, C. venustus, C. vitta; Cirrhilabrus punctatus; Coris aygula, C. dorsomacula, C. picta, C. pictoides; Gomphosus varius; Halichoeres chrysus, H. hartzfeldii, H. melasmapomus, H. prosopeion; Hologymnosus doliatus, longipes; Labroides dimidiatus; Leptojulis cyanopleura; Oxycheilinus unifasciatus; Pseudolabrus guentheri; Suezichthys devisi, S. gracilis; Thalassoma amblycephalum, T.lunare - Lethrinidae (sweetlip emperors) Gymnocranius audleyi, G. grandoculis; Lethrinus atkinsoni, genivittatus, laticaudis, miniatus, nebulosus, ravus, rubrioperculatus; Monotaxis grandoculis - Lutjanidae (snappers and sea perches) Aprion virescens; Lutjanus adetii, L.bohar, L.carponotatus, L.carponotatus, L.erythropterus, L.lemniscatus, L.malabaricus, L.quinquelineatus, L.russelli, L.sebae, L.vitta; Pristipomoides multidens; Symphorus nematophorus - Malacanthidae (tilefishes) Malacanthus brevirostris - Mullidae (goatfishes) Parupeneus barberinoides, barberinus, cyclostomus, cyclostomus, heptacanthus, multifasciatus, spilurus; Upeneus filifer - Nemipteridae (threadfin bream) Nemipterus furcosus, N. hexodon, N. theodorei; Pentapodus aureofasciatus, P. nagasakiensis, P. paradiseus, P. vitta; Scolopsis bilineata, S. margaritifer, S. monogramma - Pinguipedidae (grubfishes) Parapercis clathrata, P. nebulosa, P. xanthozona - Pomacanthidae (angelfishes) Centropyge bicolor, C. tibicen; Chaetodontoplus duboulayi, C. meredithi; Pomacanthus imperator, P. semicirculatus, P. sexstriatus - Pomacentridae (damselfishes) Acanthochromis polyacanthus; Amblyglyphidodon aureus; Amphiprion clarkii; Chromis nitida, C. xanthura; Dascyllus reticulates, D. trimaculatus; Pomacentrus amboinensis, P. australis, P. chrysurus, P. coelestis, P. moluccensis, P. nagasakiensis; Pristotis jerdoni - Rachycentridae (cobias) Rachycentron canadum - Scaridae (parrotfishes) Cetoscarus bicolor; Chlorurus sordidus; Scarus flavipectoralis, S. niger, S. oviceps, S. schlegeli - Scombridae (mackerels and tunas) Gymnosarda unicolor; Scomberomorus commerson, S. queenslandicus - Serranidae (groupers and coral cods) Cephalopholis boenak, C. miniata; Cromileptes altivelis; Epinephelus areolatus, E. coioides, E. fasciatus, E. maculatus, E. merra, E. quoyanus, E. undulatostriatus; Plectropomus laevis, P. leopardus, P. maculatus; Pseudanthias rubrizonatus; Variola albimarginata, V. louti - Siganidae (rabbitfishes) Siganus argenteus, S. corallinus, S. punctatissimus, S. punctatus, S. vulpinus - Sparidae (sea breams) Argyrops spinifer; Pagrus auratus - Sphyraenidae (barracudas) Sphyraena jello - Zanclidae (Moorish idols) Zanclus cornutusRajiformes: Stegostomatidae (leopard sharks) Stegostoma fasciatumRhinobatiformes: Rhynchobatidae (sharkfin guitarfishes) Rhynchobatus djiddensisScorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae (scorpionfish and lionfish) Pterois volitansTetraodontiformes: Balistidae (triggerfishes) Abalistes stellatus; Balistoides conspicillum; Odonus niger; Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus; Sufflamen chrysopterum, S. fraenatum - Monacanthidae (filefishes and leatherjackets) Aluterus scriptus - Tetraodontidae (pufferfish) Canthigaster valentini.

Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network