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Assessing the quality of seagrass data collected by community volunteers in Moreton Bay Marine Park, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2010

PAUL G. FINN ,
NICOLA S. UDY ,
SIMON J. BALTAIS ,
KEIRA PRICE  and
LOUISE COLES
PAUL G. FINN*
Affiliation:
Seagrass-Watch Moreton Bay, Queensland Conservation Council, 166 Ann Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
NICOLA S. UDY
Affiliation:
Moreton Bay Region, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment and Resource Management, PO Box 5178, Manly, QLD 4179, Australia
SIMON J. BALTAIS
Affiliation:
Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, Bayside Branch, PO Box 427, Capalaba, QLD 4157, Australia
KEIRA PRICE
Affiliation:
Seagrass-Watch Moreton Bay, Queensland Conservation Council, 166 Ann Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
LOUISE COLES
Affiliation:
Seagrass-Watch Moreton Bay, Queensland Conservation Council, 166 Ann Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
*
*Correspondence: Dr Paul Finn Current address: RPS Group, PO Box 1559, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia e-mail: paul.finn@rpsgroup.com.au
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Summary

Volunteer-collected data have become widely used, largely because of a perception of cost efficiency, however, the quality of these data is often questioned. This paper analyses the quality of visual estimates of seagrass cover collected by trained volunteers in Moreton Bay (Australia) which has c. 25 000 ha of seagrass habitat. Seagrass was routinely monitored by trained volunteers at 51 sites (50 × 50 m area of intertidal flat) using standardized protocols. Volunteers walked three transects at low tide and assessed the percentage of substrate covered by seagrass within quadrats (50 × 50 cm in area) using photographic guides. Of 33 samples (quadrats) taken at each site, nine (27%) were photographed and later scored by coordinating scientists. The visual estimation of per cent seagrass cover by volunteers was highly correlated with that of scientists and can therefore be used as a reliable source of base-line information about seagrasses in Moreton Bay. The qualities of this successful community-based monitoring programme include expert scientific and multi-organizational involvement, simple methods and result dissemination.

Keywords

capacity buildingdugong-grasseelgrasslocally-based monitoringSeagrass-Watchsouth-east Queensland
Type
THEMATIC SECTION: Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM): designing the next generation (Part 1)
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 37 , Issue 1: Thematic section. Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM): designing the next generation (Part 1) , March 2010 , pp. 83 - 89
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2010

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