The deeper waters of the shelf and shelf break on the Lord Howe and Balls Pyramid rises contain benthic habitats composed of a diverse assemblage of plant and animal epibenthos associated with hard and soft substrata. From the limited survey work accomplished in this rapid ecological assessment, these habitats appear to be widespread, in good condition and represented equally inside and outside sanctuary zones. Further work should focus on establishing the extent of these habitats, on identifying the major algae and invertebrates inhabiting them, and identification and quantification of the reservoir of coral species.