Develop and test a number of statistical modelling methods at a range of end-user application spatial scales and as appropriate for the scale of the available surrogates, to predict functional assemblage patterns on the Continental shelf. Using data on multiple species derive biodiversity attributes/indices and test for relationship to predicted functional assemblage patterns.
Task will use existing wide-ranging shallow tropical reef visual censuses (Lord Howe, Coral Sea, NWS to the Abrolhos), supplemented with new physical data from the surrogates project.