Guidelines for the study of the epibenthos of subtidal environments.

Abstract

These Guidelines for the Study of the Epibenthos of Subtidal Environments document a range of sampling gears and procedures for epibenthos studies that meet a variety of needs. The importance of adopting consistent sampling and analytical practices is highlighted. Emphasis is placed on ship-based techniques for surveys of coastal and offshore shelf environments, but diver-assisted surveys are also considered. The account extends earlier work by the ICES Benthos Ecology Working Group on methods for studying the benthic communities of hard substrata (Connor, 1995; see Annex 1). It also complements the ICES Techniques in Marine Environmental Sciences (TIMES) guidelines for the study of the soft-bottom macrofauna (Rumohr, in prep.), the phytobenthos (Kautsky, in prep.), and other publications dealing with benthic sampling methods, notably Eleftheriou and McIntyre (2005). Coverage of sampling gears is not exhaustive, and others may be added in future editions. The target audience includes marine scientists new to epibenthic studies as well as established practitioners who require further detail on sampling practices in order to meet various objectives of contemporary interest.