Beaman, Robin J., Bridge, Thomas, Done, Terry, Webster, Jody M., Williams, Stefan, and Pizarro, Oscar (2012) Habitats and benthos at Hydrographers Passage, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. In: Harris, Peter T., and Baker, Elaine K., (eds.) Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat: GeoHab atlas of seafloor geomorphic features and benthic habitats. Elsevier, London, England, pp. 425-434.

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Abstract

Hydrographers Passage lies on the shelf-edge of the central Great Barrier Reef in north-eastern Australia. The survey location is approximately 800 km2 in area and ranges in depth from 14 m to 300 m. The mapped geomorphic features (>1 km) include a broader-scale slope, terrace and platform, with smaller reefs and dune features. Sediment grabs from two cross-shelf transects show a generally similar composition of poorly-sorted, muddy sand and iron stained carbonate gravel. In contrast, dune sediments are a well-sorted sand with no iron staining. Images from two AUV transects provide the data for a hierarchical clustering of substrate types into five substrate groups: sand, gravel, rubble, sediment-covered limestone; and reef. The AUV imagery reveals a clear distinction between the benthos associated with hard substrates and soft substrate habitats at a finer-scale than can be shown within the broader-scale geomorphic features. Maximum entropy modelling is used to generate a habitat preference map for azooxanthellate, filter-feeding octocorals.

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