Mackay Whitsunday Isaac Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership Southern Inshore Coral Monitoring Program

Updated: 2025-11-10

Annual Benthic monitoring of six reefs within Southern Inshore Reporting Zone for the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac Regional Report Card Data utilise the same sampling methods as the Marine Monitoring Program: Photopoint intercept for benthic cover, counts of juvenile corals in belt transects and scuba searchs in belt transects for vectors of coral mortality. The methods used are identical to those used by the Marine Monitoring Program as described in https://tsv-apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/c30cfb2d-46be-4837-9733-9bb60489b65b At each Pine Peak Island, Pine Islets, Connor Island and Henderson Island, five 20m long transects are monitored at each of two sites and at 2m and 5m depth below lowest astronomic tide. At Aquila Island and Temple Island transects are at 1 to 2m depth only. Note: Monitoring of Connor Island ceased in 2021 due to visibility and logistic constraints.