If You Plant It, They Will Come: Rapid Recruitment of Habitat-Dependent Marine Invertebrates to Transplanted Fragments of an Endangered Soft Coral Species

In recent decades, the transplantation of corals has been a primary focus of restoration strategies in areas where coral populations have declined [...

Diel and seasonal variation in heterobranch sea slug assemblages within an embayment in temperate eastern Australia

Biodiversity surveys of marine species are largely conducted during the day, and often over relatively short timeframes, due to practical, operational, and budgetary constraints. As a consequence, surveys can underestimate biodiversity for some groups, such as heterobranch (formerly opisthobranch) molluscs, where abundances vary seasonally by orders of magnitude and different species are active at different times of the day. Here, we quantitatively assess day/night (diel) and seasonal variation in heterobranch sea slug assemblages using monthly, diel scuba surveys for 13 months at three sites in Port Stephens, New South Wales (NSW). All heterobranch sea slugs encountered in 50 × 5-m belt transects were recorded using identical survey methods both during the day and at night. Significant differences were detected between day and night assemblages, with species richness and abundance being consistently higher at night. Significant cyclical patterns were also detected in sea slug assemblages over the duration of the study, for both day and night assemblages, with species assemblages changing throughout the study period. The results demonstrate that marine diversity studies conducted only during the day, and those which do not account for all seasons, are likely to underestimate diversity and abundance of molluscs, particularly heterobranch sea slugs. It is, therefore, important that studies which aim to provide a comprehensive catalogue of molluscan biodiversity include not only day-time surveys, but also those conducted at night. They should also include temporal replication in order to capture ephemeral species

Reef Life Survey: Establishing the ecological basis for conservation of shallow marine life

Este artículo contiene 14 páginas, 7 figuras.Reef Life Survey (RLS) provides a new model for ecological monitoring through training experienced recreational divers in underwater visual census methods to the level of skilled scientists. Detail produced is similar to that of programs with professional scientific teams, at low cost to allow global coverage. RLS differs from most other citizen science initiatives in its emphasis on rigorous training and data quality rather than open participation, selectively involving the most skilled and committed members. Volunteers participate primarily because they appreciate the close relationship with scientists, other divers, and managers, and see their efforts directly contributing to improved environmental outcomes. RLS works closely with Australian management agencies, scheduling annual events at core monitoring sites associated with 10 inshore marine protected areas Australiawide. Surveys of 12 offshore Australian Marine Parks (AMPs) are realized through 2–4 week voyages in a sailing catamaran crewed by volunteers. Across the AMP network, RLS surveys have quantified densities of fishes, mobile invertebrates, macroalgae and corals at 350 shallow coral reef sites (180 sites surveyed on two or more occasions), providing an understanding of (i) population changes amongst threatened species including sea snakes, (ii) responses of fish and invertebrate populations following fisheries closures, (iii) ecosystem-wide impacts of marine heat-waves, and (iv) the extent that AMPs spanning the network comprehensively encompass national coral reef biodiversity. This scientist/volunteer/manager collaboration could be greatly expanded globally (presently 3537 sites in 53 countries).Reef Life Survey Foundation has been sustained through grants from the Ian Potter Foundation and Minderoo Foundation, reporting contracts from Parks Australia, and administrative and analytical support from the University of Tasmania. The RLS program was established through a grant to GJE through the former Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities Program. Analyses were supported by the Australian Research Council and the Marine Biodiversity Hub, a collaborative partnership supported through the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program. Additional advice and assistance have been provided by the Department for Environment and Water (South Australia), Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (Tasmania), Department of Primary Industries (New South Wales), Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (Western Australia), and Parks Victoria. Data management and distribution is supported through the Integrated Marine Observing System.Peer reviewe