The dataset comprises 2108 individuals from 100 species of fishes, sharks, rays and sea snakes observed at around Darwin Harbour wrecks using 72 baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS(TM)). 409 images were captured from these cameras. Approximately 3500 of the best images from all BRUVS (TM) projects are stored in a reference library. Data recorded concern: - classification of the habitat in the field of view (topography, sediments, benthos) - the identity of fish and CAABCODES - their time of arrival - their behaviour (8 categories, including feeding on the bait) - their maturity (adult or juvenile) - their relative abundance (as MaxN = the maximum number visible at one time, or distinguishable at different times as separate individuals e.g. much larger/smaller, male/female) - the time elapsed before MaxN and feeding occurs. A custom interface has been developed by AIMS staff, using Microsoft Access, for reading and analysis of BRUVS(TM) tapes.

The dataset comprises 569 individuals from 94 species of fishes, sharks, rays and sea snakes observed at around Inshore Shoals : Cairns and Cardwell using 19 baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS(TM)). 238 images were captured from these cameras. Approximately 3500 of the best images from all BRUVS (TM) projects are stored in a reference library. Data recorded concern: - classification of the habitat in the field of view (topography, sediments, benthos) - the identity of fish and CAABCODES - their time of arrival - their behaviour (8 categories, including feeding on the bait) - their maturity (adult or juvenile) - their relative abundance (as MaxN = the maximum number visible at one time, or distinguishable at different times as separate individuals e.g. much larger/smaller, male/female) - the time elapsed before MaxN and feeding occurs. A custom interface has been developed by AIMS staff, using Microsoft Access, for reading and analysis of BRUVS(TM) tapes.

This dataset was collected in two separate experiments in 2019/20 and 2020/21, looking at the behaviour of juvenile Acanthaster cf. solaris as they transition from their initial herbivorous diet feeding on crustose coralline algae (CCA) to feeding on coral. We aimed to fill key knowledge gaps by identifying the age and size COTS would transition, as well as identifying 50% and 100% probabilities of transition for the cohorts. We also looked at the effect available coral species have on the probability of COTS transitioning, comparing preferred foods Acropora millepora and A. tenuis to Stylophora pistillata. COTS were isolated in flow-through tanks in the Australian Institute of Marine Science’s National Sea Simulator, and provided with CCA and the relevant coral species. In Experiment 1, one COTS was added per tank with CCA and A. tenuis, and was monitored weekly for a transition to a coral diet. In Experiment 2, 10 COTS were added per tank, with CCA and either A. millepora, A. tenuis or S. pistillata, with four replicate tanks per coral treatment. When COTS were observed feeding on corals, they were removed, photographed and their size and age recorded. Experiment 1 was run until all 24 COTS used in the experiment had transitioned, whilst Experiment 2 was run until >50% of the cohort in the A. tenuis treatment (the COTS preferred food) had transitioned. Parameters common to both: Age – Age of Acanthaster cf. solaris juveniles in days post settlement Arms – Number of arms on individual Acanthaster cf. solaris Diameter – Average diameter of Acanthaster cf. solaris individuals measured in millimetres from the tips of the arms Coral – The coral species the Acanthaster cf. solaris was found feeding on Exp 1 Tank Row – the row the COTS tank was in Tank Column – the column the COTS tank was in Exp 2 Tank Rep – The replicate number of the tank for each coral species (n = 4 for each species) Tank No – The individual tank ID number Exp 2 – binomial feeding CCA/Coral – 1 indicates this was the diet of the COTS specimen at the end of the experiment (day 175), 0 indicates it was not

Zooplankton were collected from 19 stations in Antarctic waters between December 1978 and January 1979. Plankton samples were sorted into individual species and live specimens of 8 species were maintained in an incubator at -0.5 ± 0.5°C and transported to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) for laboratory experiments. The remainder of the samples were frozen at -20°C. The live specimens were used for direct measurements of respiration and ammonia excretion rates by a water bottle method. Individual animals were placed in bottles of filtered seawater. The size of the bottle used ranged from 50 to 1000 ml, depending on the size of the animal. After incubation for 24 hours at -0.5°C, a sample of water was drawn for determination of dissolved oxygen concentration and ammonia concentration.Enzyme activity of the respiratory electron transport system (ETS) was determined using frozen specimens of the same species as well as an additional five species. Frozen samples were homogenized with a piece of GF/C filter in ETS B solution and the cell free extracts were incubated at temperatures similar to water temperatures where the animals were collected (± 0.3°C). The same homogenates were used to determine protein concentration. A subsample of animals were freeze dried to determine average body dry weight for each species. The results of protein analysis was expressed as the ratio of protein to dry weight. Respiration rate, ammonia excretion rate and ETS activity were calculated on the basis of average dry weight. Ratios of the respiration rate to ammonia excretion rate (O:N) and ETS activity to respiration rate (ETS:R) were also calculated.Moulting intervals of three specimens of Euphausia superba maintained at -0.5°C were also observed. Measurements of moults were also taken. This study was initiated to:1. measure respiration and ammonia excretion rates of Antarctic zooplankton2. measure enzyme activity of the respiratory electron transport system (ETS) as an indirect measure of respiration rate3. compare respiration and ammonia excretion rates with published rates for species of the copepod family Calanidae and the Euphausiid genus Euphausia occurring in different temperature regimes. Live zooplankton taxa used for respiration and ammonia excretion measurements:Pteropoda: Limacina antarcticaCopepoda: Calanus propinquus, Calanus acutus, Metridia gerlachei Euphausiacea: Euphausia superba, Euphausia crystallorophias, Thysanoessa macruraAmphipoda: Parathemisto gaudichaudiiAdditional taxa used to estimate ETS activity from frozen specimens:Ctenophora: Pleurobrachia sp.Pteropoda: Clione antarcticaCopepoda: Calanus tonsus (juvenile), Paralabidocera antarcticaAppendicularia: Oikopleura gaussica

Three replicate Montipora colonies displaying areas of apparently healthy coral tissue and black areas with obvious diseased lesions were sampled from a small reef flat area in Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island, Australia. 'Healthy' samples were collected from normally pigmented areas of a coral colony separated by >5 cm from an observed lesion. 'Diseased' samples were collected from the boundary margin of healthy and diseased skeleton and tissue of black lesions. A permanent photographic monitoring site was established in the area in early January 2002.Samples were prepared in media designed for the isolation and enumeration of heterotrophic marine bacteria and Vibrio organisms respectively. Bacteria obtained from this study were designated: MA-HC1 and MA-HC2 for isolates obtained from healthy coral (HC) samples and MA-DC1 to MA-DC4 for isolates cultured from diseased coral (DC) samples, both grown on marine agar (MA) medium; and TCBS-DC1 to TCBS DC-4 for isolates cultured from diseased coral (DC) samples grown on TCBS growth medium.DNA was extracted from cultured isolates using the propriety reagent GeneReleaser and from coral samples using a modified UREA extraction buffer protocol. Universal bacterial primers 27F and 1492R, were used for amplification of 16S rRNA genes. PCR products were checked on a 1% agarose gel with bands of appropriate size either sequenced (bacterial isolates) or cloned (DNA extracted from corals). Duplicate PCR reactions were performed on DNA extracted from each coral sample and the products from the replicated reactions pooled.Amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) was performed to analyse the diversity of clones within each of the healthy coral and disease coral libraries constructed.The diversity of clone libraries was further investigated by rarefaction analysis calculations. Other indices and models were used to analyse the variation of microbial diversity within clone libraries, with three different categories of measurement calculated with the EstimateS software package: Richness indices, Evenness indices, and Abundance models.Sequences of clones representing the OTU groupings generated were designated: HC-OTU1 to HC-OTU12 for clones from the healthy coral (HC) sample clone library, DC-OTU1 to DC-OTU12 for clones from the diseased coral (DC) sample clone library. Sequences were checked for chimera formation with the CHECK_CHIMERA software of the Ribosomal Database Project. Sequence data generated was analysed with the ARB software package. Tree topology was evaluated by reconstructing phylogenies using evolutionary distance (Jukes and Cantor model), maximum parsimony (ARB and DNAPARS) and maximum likelihood (ARB and fastDNAml) analyses of the aligned near full-length sequences extracted from the GenBank database. To report the results of culture-based andmolecular microbial analysis of both healthy and diseased coral tissue from Montipora corals at Magnetic Island undergoing atramentous necrosis and compare those data with 16S rDNA sequences from diseased lesions reported previously. The nucleotide sequence data appears in the GenBank database under the accession numbers: AY529868, AY529869, AY529870, AY529871, AY529872, AY529873, AY529874, AY529875, AY529876, AY529877, AY529878, AY529879, AY529880, AY529881, AY529882, AY529883, AY529884, AY529885, AY529886, AY529887, AY529888, AY529889, AY529890, AY529891, AY529892, AY529893, AY529894, AY529895, AY529896, AY529897, AY529898, AY529899, AY529900.

Populations of herbivorous macroinvertebrates living on dead coral rock substrata were surveyed on three midshelf reefs (Davies Reef, Little Broadhurst Reef and Centipede Reef) and two outershelf reefs (Chicken Reef and Anzac Reefs No. 2). Initial surveys were conducted on Davies Reef in April and October 1988 and were extended to the other four reefs in March 1989.At Davies Reef, six zones located on the reef crest and 25, 160, 40, 270 and 380 m from the reef crest were defined along a transect extending from the windward reef crest to the lagoon. Quadrats (2 m x 2 m) were placed haphazardly over areas of hard substrate within a 20 m x 50 m area parallel to the reef crest in each zone. In April 1988, the substrate within each of a minimum of 8 quadrats per zone was searched and herbivorous macroinvertebrates identified and counted. In October 1988, the densities of the most common grazing gastropods (Turbo chrysostomus, Turbo argyrostomus and Trochus spp.) were measured. Between 10 and 40 quadrats (2 m x 2 m) within each zone were searched during the day and the gastropods indentified, counted and the shell length measured.In March 1989, surveys were extended to four other reefs in the area to compare densities of groups of grazing macroinvertebrates. Between 3 and 6 sites were selected along the windward side of each reef, in the zone approximately 160 m from the reef crest (mid-reef flat). A minimum of 18 quadrats per site were surveyed.Three different techniques were used to estimate the rate of ingestion of epilithic algae by Turbo chrysostomus on Davies Reef in October 1988. Ingestion rates of 34 Turbo chrysostomus were measured using the faeces quantification technique. Individuals were placed in separate containers within 24 hours of collection with a 10 x 10 cm slab of turf covered coral rock. After a further 24 hours, faecal pellets were collected and dry and ash-free dry weight was determined. Subsamples of algae scraped from the slabs of coral rock were analysed for ash-free dry weight and organic carbon. Comparative data for 6 Trochus pyramis was obtained in March 1989. Experiments using the grazer manipulation technique were conducted twice in the zone 160 m from the reef crest. Nine slabs of natural coral rock (each approximately 12 x 12 cm), collected from Turbo chrysostomus habitat were placed individually into wire mesh cages attached to the substrate. Two Turbo chrysostomus were placed in each of 6 caged treatments, with the remaining cages used as controls. After 48 hours, the snails had produced distinct feeding scars on the turf layer and the slabs were collected and frozen. The area of turf covering the upper surface was measured and turf algae on the slabs was removed dried, weighed and subsampled for determination of ash-free dry weight and organic carbon.A total of 210 Turbo chrysostomus were collected from the same zone to determine ingestion rates using the crop-fullness technique. Snails were collected at 2 hourly intervals during the day and night and at 30 minute intervals between 1800 and 2200 hours, the expected crop filling period. The animals were separated from their shells and opercula, after measurement of the shell length, and preserved in 4% formalin. The animals were later dissected and the crop contents collected for determination of dry and ash free dry weight. Subsamples of the crop contents were analysed for organic carbon. Dry weight of the soft tissue of the animals was also determined. Comparative data was collected for 24 Trochus pyramis, collected over day and night in February 1989.Feeding behaviour of Turbo and Trochus was observed to determine the period of feeding activity and the nature of the material ingested. On Davies Reef, observations were made during the day and night and the proportion of specimens that were cryptic or active and feeding recorded. Observations were also made on specimens maintained in an aquarium containing coral rock collected from the natural snail habitat. Sixteen Turbo chrysostomus and 6 Trochus pyramis were collected from Davies Reef in October 1988 between 1900 and 2400 hours. The entire crops of both species were combined, mixed and examined by light microscope. The relative abundance of the major constituents was determined using a point intersection method. This research was undertaken to examine the role of herbivorous macroinvertebrates as grazers on reefs of the central Great Barrier Reef.

Corals were collected by scuba from depths between 1 and 45 m on the southeastern side of Davies Reef in October 1980 and February, July and December 1981 and the concentrations of mycosporine-like amino acids determined.Photosynthetic pigments and and mycosporine-like amino acids were extracted using 3 volumes of 20% tetrahydrofuran in methanol (v:v). Visible UV spectra were recorded and pigments were separated and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. The UV-B band used in this study was 208-340 nm. To examine the relationship between the mycosporine-like amino acids of Acropora spp. and increasing depth.To determine whether Acropora spp. respond biochemically to the presence of UV-B light. Data analyses were part of a series of three papers addressing:1. Long-term growth responses (data not held by AIMS)2. Light saturation curves for photosynthesis and respiration (see separate metadata record)3. UV-B absorbing compoundsSee separate metadata records.

Pitfall traps were used to capture crabs in seven locations along the east coast of Queensland (Escape River, Claudie River, Morgan River, Endeavour River, Murray River, Hinchinbrook Island and Cape Ferguson) and from the Wenlock River on the western side of Cape York Peninsula. Where possible, traps were located to sample crabs from high, medium and low salinity regimes and high, medium and low intertidal positions. This research was undertaken to examine differences in the species distribution of mangrove sesarmid crabs within and between estuaries along the Queensland coast.

Six parallel transects, located 2 m apart were surveyed offshore from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute laboratory on Galeta Island, Panama.Transects consisted of a 150 m line (divided into 5 x 30 m lines) extending from datum to the surf zone and 1 x 30 m reverse line extending from datum to the mangroves.Line intercept survey methods were used to indentify the benthos along each transect. This research was undertaken to characterize the benthos of the reef flat off Galeta Island, Panama.

The structure of fish communities on the outer slopes of one inshore reef (Pandora), one mid-shelf reef (Rib) and one outer shelf reef (Myrmidon) in the central region of the Great Barrier Reef was examined using small, standardised plastic explosive charges.Ten collections (5 at a depth of 5m and 5 at 9m), were made on each reef in areas of the outer reef slope with the greatest abundance and diversity of fish and coral. Charges were laid on the bottom and after detonation fish were affected over a area of approximately 150 m².Immediately after detonation of the explosive, dead and stunned fish were collected by divers and from a boat using hand nets. Fish were later identified to species, weighed and assigned to trophic categories and feeding guilds within these categories. Earlier visual censuses of reef fish across the continental shelf, based on a limited number of species, identified a strong gradient in species composition. In this study, the differences in fish communities among reefs, including biomass measurements and trophic structure were examined for a more comprehensive list of species, by collecting fish using small explosive charges, which is an effective and non-selective collection method. A total of 323 species belonging to 45 families and comprising 28,537 individuals were collected.