NERP TE Project 1.1: Coral Reef Status and Trends on the Great Barrier Reef, 2011-2014

Long-term monitoring data documents trends in coral reef communities of the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian Institute of Marine Science Long-Term Monitoring Program resurveyed 47 'core' reefs since 1992, with intensive surveys conducted in 2012-13 and 2014-15. Outcomes include updates on coral, fish, and crown-of-thorns starfish populations, and reports on reef recovery from cyclones and outbreaks.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term trends in coral cover based on repeated surveys of core reefs.
• Modeling crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak dynamics based on manta tow survey data.
• Assessing reef recovery rates and resilience after cyclones based on post-disturbance monitoring.
• Studying relationships between fish populations and environmental or management drivers.
• Mapping broad-scale geographic patterns of coral bleaching and disease across the GBR lagoon.

Strengths

• 47 'core' reefs have been surveyed intensively since 1992, providing a multi-decade baseline.
• Surveys are stratified by latitude and position across the GBR lagoon for broad geographic coverage.
• Data collection includes multiple methods: intensive diver transects and reef-perimeter manta tow surveys.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the selected survey reefs on the Great Barrier Reef.

Provenance

Source

Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP), via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Diver surveys on marked transects and manta tow surveys of reef perimeters.

Time Range

Core reef surveys since 1992, with project focus on 2011-2014 and resurveys in 2012-13 and 2014-15.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 19:00:01.673782; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Great Barrier Reef, Australia, with reefs stratified by latitude and position across the lagoon.