Mackay/Capricorn Management Area Field Trip, 26 Sept - 3 Oct 2024
Drone image of RV Infamis
Research Vessel: RV Infamis
Drone image of survey site
South-Eastern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia – A recent field trip conducted by EORC researchers, for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), has generated valuable data for the second phase of our habitat mapping project “Delivery of a 3D live habitat map for the full extent of the Great Barrier Reef (Phase Two)”.
The primary goal was to collect calibration and validation data across a variety of reef zones, sizes, and exposures. The team employed several methods to gather comprehensive data:
Georeferenced Photoquadrats: Collected along 8m, 5m, and 2m contours using scuba and snorkel, these 1m² photos of the benthos will be analysed with Reef Cloud to identify dominant benthic types like coral, macroalgae, and sand.
Depth Soundings: Daily depth data collection from vessel to validate depth layers.
Drone Imagery: Captured to data provide extra contextual information (including orthomosaics) of the benthic and geomorphic characteristics of photoquadrat survey transect locations.
GoPro Videos: Short videos (geo-tagged) taken along transects to provide additional geomorphic and reef structure information.
Reef Health and Impact Surveys (RHIS): Part of the GBRMPA “Eye on the Reef” monitoring and assessment program that collects valuable information about reef health, marine animals, and incidents. These were collected where possible at the end of SCUBA photo transects.
These activities were carried out on the far eastern section of the southern GBR reefs (Mackay/Capricorn Management Area), including Hardlines and Swain Reefs, which extend into the Coral Sea. The data collected will support the calibration and validation of habitat maps, creation of reef outlines, and potentially aid in planning for the Mackay/Capricorn Management Area..
The first three days of the trip saw excellent conditions, allowing comprehensive surveys of all reef sides. However, days four and five experienced some swell affecting the southeastern sides, and the final day was called off due to 30-knot winds and oceanic swell exposure.
Over 26,000 geo-referenced benthic photos across 75 transects covering all geomorphic zones of 7 reefs were collected. These photos will be processed in Reef Cloud (the Australian Institute of Marine Science’s benthic annotation platform) to create percent cover data of all benthic types. The geo-tagged videos will be used to understand the geomorphic zonation of the unique reef types, and the depth soundings will be used to validate the available depth mosaics in this remote area.
This successful field trip marks a significant step forward in the GBRMPA’s efforts to enhance habitat mapping and management of the Great Barrier Reef. This project is funded by Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. The research vessel is Blue Planet’s Infamis.
EORC team plus boat crew from left: Grant Nerot (engineer), Jai Kennedy (coxswain), Dr Rodney Borrego, Maria Kottemair, Gillian Rowan, Ilha Byrne, Joanna Smart, Corine Bavajee (chef), Nathan Shedden (Captain), Josh Passenger, Muhammad Hafizt, Howard Langton (mate), Ben Harland (deckhand), Kathryn Markey (trip lead). Not present: Meredith Roe (project lead).
All images provided by Kathryn Markey.
