Pilbara Marine Conservation Partnership (PMCP) coral reef survey of benthic cover, between northern Ningaloo and the Dampier Archipelago.
The data include:
* Benthic Photographs
* Digital still images of benthos taken along transects
* Benthic cover database
* Cover (%) of benthic life forms on 25m transects, derived from point intercept data taken from transect images.
The Pilbara Marine Conservation Partnership (PMCP) was an initiative designed to enhance the net conservation benefits of the globally-significant coral reef ecosystems of the Pilbara (Western Australia) by providing an assessment of the condition and trajectory of key ecological values. These assessments were designed to inform and complement existing governance and management arrangements and the PMCP is intended to provide ongoing advice and assessment for conservation efforts in the region, providing lasting benefits.
The PMCP concept is based on three core ecological components, namely:
Coral Reef Health - concentrating mainly on habitat forming primary producers.
Fish and Sharks - their community structure, interactions and impacts on lower trophic levels.
Environmental Pressures - physical and anthropogenic factors that influence the condition of reefs and associated biota.
