Victorian Subtidal Reef Monitoring Program - Parks Victoria

Parks Victoria Technical Series No. 67PPB Sanctuaries Subtidal Reef Monitoringevent cycles; and measurement variability (including natural day-to-day variability). Plots ofchanges over time may not necessarily match the changes in real populations becausechanges over shorter time periods and actual minima and maxima may not be adequatelysampled (e.g. Figure 1.4). Sources of environmental variation can operate at the scale ofmonths (e.g. seasonal variation, harvesting), years (e.g. el Niño), decades (e.g. pollution,extreme storm events) or even centuries (e.g. tsunamis, global warming). Other studiesindicate this monitoring program will begin to adequately reflect average trends and patternsas the surveys continue over longer periods (multiple years to decades). The results of thismonitoring need to be interpreted within the context of the monitoring frequency andduration.ParameterTimeFigure 1.4. An example plot depicting change in an environmental, population or community variableover time (days, months or years) and potential patterns from isolated observations.1.2.2 Monitoring Protocols and LocationsThe SRMP uses standardised underwater visual census methods based on an approachdeveloped and applied in Tasmania by Edgar and Barrett (1997). Details of standardoperational procedures and quality control protocols for Victoria’s SRMP are described inEdmunds and Hart (2003).The SRMP was initiated in May 1998 in the vicinity of Port Phillip Heads Marine NationalPark. In 1999 the SRMP was expanded to reefs in the vicinity of the Bunurong MarineNational Park, Phillip Island, and Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park.In 2003 and 2004, the Subtidal Reef Monitoring Program was expanded to include MarineNational Parks and Marine Sanctuaries throughout Victoria.8