AIMS Long-term Monitoring, SOP Number 1 - Appendix IIb. Reef aesthetics description

Long-term Monitoring Standard Operational Procedure Number 1

Appendixes

Appendix IIb. REEF AESTHETICS DESCRIPTION

Zone

1. Back reef
2. Flank #1
3. Front reef
4. Flank #2

Reef slope

1. Shallow (0 - 20°)
2. Moderate (20 - 45°)
3. Steep (45 - 75°)
4. Vertical (75 - 90°)
5. Broken
6. Back reef slope

Reef aesthetics

1. Very poor
2. Poor
3. Average
4. Good
5. Very Good
6. Excellent

Dominant benthic form

1. Hard coral
2. Soft coral
3. Macro algae
4. Coralline/turf algae
5. Sand/rubble
6. Sponge

Dominant hard coral genus

A. Acropora genus
C. A Non-Acropora genus
N. No one coral genus dominant

Dominant hard coral form

B. Branching
C. Corymbose
D. Digitate
E. Encrusting

F. Foliose
M. Massive
S. Sub-massive
T. Tabulate
N. No dominant form

Live hard coral form

0. 0%
1. 1-10%
2. 11-30%
3. 31-50%
4. 51-75%
5. 76-100%

Structural complexity

1. Uniform (pavement, wall, sand, thickets)
2. Mixed (spur & groove, back reef)
3. Complex (many diverse structures)

T. gigas abundance

0. None
1. 1-10
2. 11-25
3. 25-50
4. > 50

Fish abundance

1. Low
2. Moderate
3. High
4. Very high

Coral bleeching

0. 0%
1. 1-10%
2. 11-30%
3. 31-50%
4. 51-75%
5. 76-100%