An examination of seagrass monitoring protocols as applied to two New South Wales estuarine settings

Many recent studies have sought to monitor health characteristics of seagrasses, including changes in aerial extent, biomass and fish community structure. While these studies have provided important information on the ecology of seagrass communities on southeast Australia, little attempt has been made to subject these sampling procedures to rigorous experimental testing and review. This study employed commonly-used standard methods for sampling seagrass community characteristics in two sites in New South Wales. Where possible, sampling protocols were tested for accuracy and efficiency at a range of temporal and spatial scales.