NESP TWQ 2.1: Keppel Islands Coral Reef Monitoring and Cyclone Impact, 2015-2016

The Keppel Islands in the southern Great Barrier Reef were monitored at 26 sites following successive climatic disturbances between 2006 and 2013 and after Cyclone Marcia in 2015. The dataset likely contains survey results quantifying coral cover and fish abundance declines, as well as data from a pilot-scale reef restoration experiment. It was contributed by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in July 2026.

Use Cases

• Quantifying cyclone damage on coral reefs based on the post-Cyclone Marcia surveys mentioned in the description
• Identifying coral reef refuges based on long-term monitoring data from 26 sites
• Assessing the viability of active reef restoration based on the pilot-scale experiment in the Keppel Islands
• Comparing ecological impacts in no-take reserves versus fished reefs based on the described monitoring

Strengths

• Long-term monitoring at 26 distinct sites provides a multi-year perspective
• Focus on a specific, well-documented climatic event (Cyclone Marcia, Category 5, February 2015)
• Includes data from both no-take reserve and fished reefs for comparison

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 Keppel Islands region

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field surveys and a pilot-scale restoration experiment, as described.

Time Range

Monitoring spans from at least 2006-2013, with resurveys in 2015-2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-16 03:38:46.582432; freshness should be verified

Geography

Keppel Islands, southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia.