The sediment environment and fauna from reefs in a broad transect across the Great Barrier Reef were quantitatively surveyed. The study was conducted on six reefs in two transects across the continental shelf in the central region of the Great Barrier Reef. Each transect consisted of one inner shelf reef (Pandora or Phillips) located approximately 18km from the coast, one middle shelf reef (Rib or Lodestone) approximately 70km from the coast and one reef on the outer edge of the continental shelf (Myrmidon or Dip) approximately 110km offshore.
Within each reef, three or four sites were sampled representing the different sediment environments. Sites were placed at intervals along the gradient of wave energy from shallow windward reef flat to deep leeward lagoon. On the inner shelf reefs, which have no distinct lagoon, sites were positioned on the windward and leeward sides according to the prevailing south east trade wind.
One transect of three reefs (Pandora, Rib and Myrmidon) was sampled on four occasions at approximately three monthly intervals throughout a year. The second transect (Phillips, Lodestone and Dip) was sampled once.
