From Australian Oceans Data Network
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Status of fringing reefs in the Northumberland Islands, southern Great Barrier Reef

Created 23/06/2025

Updated 23/06/2025

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Fringing reefs surrounding islands within the Northumberland Islands group were surveyed in September 2000. The Northumberland Islands occupy a relatively large area (approx 9000 km²). In order to get good geographic coverage of reefs, a sub-sample of islands was targeted within three distinct zones at various distances from Broad Sound and the coast.The study zones were:1. near-shore islands immediately adjacent to the coast (within 3km, Temple Island group and West Hill Island)2. mid-shore islands located approximately midway between the coast and the outer limit of the Northumberland Islands (Knight Island, Curlew Island and Poynter Island)3. offshore islands on the seaward side of the Northumberland Islands group bordering the lagoon of the GBR (Prudhoe Island, Pine Peak Island and South Percy Island).Surveys used one or more of the following techniques to gain a broadscale overview of reef habitat around island perimeters and to identify areas of fringing reef that would be suitable for long-term monitoring:1. Broadscale surveys used manta tow or, if visibility was less than 6m, spot checks. For manta tow surveys, the variables recorded included crown-of-thorns starfish counts, estimates of live coral, dead coral and soft coral cover, and the number of bleached corals. During spot checks, observers recorded substrate type and associated benthic organisms, but did not estimate coral cover.2. Detailed surveys were carried out along a series of 50m transects at each reef. Benthic organisms occurring along the transects were recorded on video for later analysis. Fish were also identified along each transect, however fish abundance was not recorded. The objectives of this research were:1. to provide an assessment of the status of coral and reef fish communities around a variety of islands within the Northumberland Islands group.2. To provide an interpretation of those data in terms of:a) how the Northumberland Islands reef biota compare with reef assemblages in other regions within the GBRb) the comparative biological/ecological value of the Northumberland Island's reefs c) historical comparisons of reef status (where data is available) to indicate current reef trajectoriesd) options for long-term monitoring of these reefs.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Status of fringing reefs in the Northumberland Islands, southern Great Barrier Reef
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/23dfe4e8-1fe3-4133-bc2f-8c12db28a013
Contact Point
Australian Ocean Data Network
adc@aims.gov.au
Reference Period 20/11/2017
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        149.4,
        -22.1
      ],
      [
        150.5,
        -22.1
      ],
      [
        150.5,
        -21.2
      ],
      [
        149.4,
        -21.2
      ],
      [
        149.4,
        -22.1
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Australian Oceans Data Network

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Australian Oceans Data Network "Status of fringing reefs in the Northumberland Islands, southern Great Barrier Reef". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/status-of-fringing-reefs-in-the-northumberland-islands-southern-great-barrier-reef1