| Abstract: | - 1. A 4-year study developed methods for annual monitoring of shallow-water tropical marine benthic communities to detect changes in spatial patterning and benthic diversity. Two low-relief sponge/octocoral communities were selected from natural colour photography to gain a broader perspective on spatial variability in the benthic community structure of similar community types.
- 2. Changes in benthic spatial patterning were studied using four methods: (i) substrata and lifeform coverage characterization, (ii) species inventories, (iii) belt quadrat measurements of taxa-level (algae, sponges, octocorals and stony corals) density, area coverage and size, and (iv) belt quadrat measurements of species-level density, area coverage and area per individual or colony.
- 3. A sampling hierarchy of multiple parameters was utilized to detect changes in benthic community diversity. Substrata and lifeform characterizations (at the taxa-versus species-level) were the least sensitive and serve as indicators of catastrophic change in community structure.
- 4. Changes in spatial patterning of the benthos that may be attributed to low-level, chronic anthropogenic disturbances can be best studied utilizing belt quadrat measurements. The use of multiple study sites and a sampling hierarchy was useful in minimizing Type II errors and to determine the level of monitoring necessary to segregate natural rates of change from anthropogenic impacts.
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