Field Manuals for Marine Sampling to Monitor Australian Waters, Version 1. [SUPERSEDED by DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.25607/OBP-918]

Abstract

Australia has one of the world’s largest marine estates that includes many vulnerable habitats and a high biodiversity, with many endemic species crossing a wide latitudinal range. The marine estate is used by a variety of industries including fishing, oil & gas, and shipping, in addition to traditional, cultural, scientific and recreational uses. The Commonwealth government has recently established the Australian Marine Parks (AMPs), the largest network of marine protected areas in the world, complementing existing networks in State and Territory waters.

Monitoring the impacts of these uses on the marine environment is a massive shared responsibility that can only be achieved by making the best use of all the information that is collected. Australia now has a number of significant long-term marine monitoring and observing programs, as well as a national ocean data network. Without some common and agreed standards, much of the information collected will not be comparable with other areas or sectors. This may reduce its value to regional and national management, while the individual project or survey may lose the opportunity to interpret results in a regional or national context.

We have therefore developed a suite of field manuals for the acquisition of marine benthic (i.e. seafloor) data from a variety of frequently-used sampling platforms so that data can become directly comparable in time and through space, thus supporting nationally relevant monitoring in Australian waters and the development of a monitoring program for the AMP network. This objective integrates with one of the eight high-level priorities identified by the National Marine Science Plan (2015-25): the establishment of national baselines and long-term monitoring.

Due to the large geographic area, diverse flora and fauna, and range of environmental conditions represented by the Australian marine estate, a single method of sampling is neither practical nor desirable. For this reason, we present a standard operating procedure (SOP) for each of six key marine benthic sampling platforms that were identified based on their frequency of use in previous sampling and monitoring programs, as well as a pilot pelagic sampling platform included due to its similarity with benthic BRUVs:

 Multibeam sonar (MBES) provides bathymetry and backscatter data that are used to map the seafloor.  Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) acquire high-resolution continuous imagery of the seafloor and its associated habitats and organisms.  Benthic Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) systems acquire video of demersal fish attracted to a baited camera system dropped to the seafloor.  Pelagic BRUVs acquire video of pelagic fish and other fauna that are attracted to a baited camera system suspended in the water column. This platform is included as an emergent sampling method for pelagic ecosystems.  Towed cameras acquire video or still imagery of the seafloor and its associated habitats and organisms.  Grabs and box corers collect sediment samples that can be analysed for biological, geochemical, or sedimentological variables.  Sleds and trawls collect benthic or demersal fauna near the seafloor.

The main challenge in the development of these manuals was to find a balance between being overly prescriptive (such that people prefer to follow their own protocol and ignore the manuals) and overly flexible (such that data is not consistent and therefore not comparable). A collaborative approach was paramount to addressing this concern. Ultimately, over 70 individuals from over 30 organisations contributed to the field manual package. By engaging researchers, managers, and technicians from multiple agencies with a variety of experience, sea time, and subject matter expertise, we strove to ensure the field manuals represented the broader marine science community of Australia. This not only improved the content but also increased the potential for adoption across multiple agencies and monitoring programs.

Future work is based on the understanding that SOPs should be periodically checked and revised, lest they become superseded or obsolete. Resources are available to develop a Version 2 of this field manual package, due for completion in late 2018, following additional community consultation and input. As part of this version, a long-term plan for managing the field manuals will be developed, including maintenance, version control, and the scoping of further SOPs as new sampling platforms are ready for use in monitoring programs.