Atlantic Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment(AGRRA) Project

Survey Equipment Construction

Kenneth Marks and Judith Lang

Revision: 2012-10-01

• hacksaw • drill and assorted bits (e.g., 5 mm / 3/16”; 6 mm / 1/4”) • clipper• pliers• screwdriver• soldering iron• metric measuring tape (or use metric fish survey tape

reel)

Tools needed for equipment construction

PVC tubing, ½ inch internal diameter (½” ID) ~ 2 mfemale threaded connector, ½” ID 1male threaded connector, ½” ID 190° elbow, ½” ID 4 PVC cement < 100 gm / 4 oz.braided 3/16” diameter leadcore rope at least 10.2 mbraided nylon cord at least 1 m black vinyl electrical tape ~ 3 m large cable ties ~ 15 (11 black) smaller colored cable ties 90 (preferably 2 colors, with 45 of one and 45 of the other) carabiner (or other secure clip) 1clipboard (or slate of similar size) 1rubber bands up to 12braided nylon string (alternative for some rubber bands) ~ 75 cm appropriate UW-BENTHOS datasheet 1 / divepencil at least 2

+ needed for each detailed benthos and coral surveyorflexible, 15 cm plastic ruler (or equivalent) 1

Needed for each benthos surveyor

Benthos Survey Equipment

10 m transect line

meter pole

25 × 25 cm quadrat

clipboard

UW BENTHOS datasheet

The two halves combine to make a 1-meter long measuring pole.

Will consist of two, marked poles.

Measuring Pole Construction

PVC tube, ½” ID

50 cm

100 cm

Use PVC cement to glue one end of a ½” ID PVC tube to a threaded female connector.

When the glue has set, measure and cut the tube for a total length of exactly 50 cm from the outer end of the connector.

50 cm total length

(Shown after addition of the 10-cm interval marks.)

female connector

female

connector

male connector

threadedfirmly together

Glue a second PVC tube (must be at least 50 cm long) into a male threaded connector.

Thread the male connector into the female connector (should be firm, but not overly tight).

When the glue has set, measure and cut the second PVC tube so the overall length of the combined pole is exactly 100 cm.

Starting at the female connector end, wrap the tubes with black vinyl electrical tape to make alternating 10-cm bands.

Add smaller 5-cm bands at each end of the meter pole.

female connector = black

male connector

= unmarked

10-cm

5-cm

5-cm

When combined, both halves join to create a full 1-meter pole.

The pole half with the female connector is exactly 50 cm in total length.

The other half pole is slightly longer due to the protruding threads on the male connector.

1 meter total length

50 cm

female connector

If desired, a cable tie can be looped through a hole drilled in one end of the meter pole for attachment to a buoyancy compensator (BC).

cable tie

Cut four pieces of ½” ID PVC tube so the inner dimension of the quadrat will be 25 cm × 25 cm.

Glue all joints of 90° elbows.

Try to make sure quadrat remains relatively flat while gluing together.

Quadrat Construction

25 cm

25 cm

Drill several holes through the sides to allow water penetration (otherwise quadrat will float).

Attach a carabiner (or other style of clip) through one of the holes with several cable ties. Cut off the cable tie “tails” as short as possible with clippers.

drilled hole

“clipped” cable ties

300 ft spool of 3/16” braided, leadcore rope, used for transect lines, may be sourced from commercial fishing supply companies such as http://www.nylonnet.com (stock number: 20S).

Transect Line Construction

Start by unspooling and accurately measuring the actual length of the line (usually a little over 91 m / 300 ft).

Each transect line needs to be 10 m plus enough extra to form an eyelet at each end (minimally around 10.2 m).

If there is enough line, divide the total length by 9 (otherwise divide by 8) to calculate the length of each transect line.

First mark the proposed cut points with tape bands to verify the measurements before making any cuts to avoid errors. (Alternatively, sequentially cut 8 × 11 meter segments.)

Form a small eyelet at each end of the transect line and secure it with several, very tight cable ties. Tighten cable ties with a pair of pliers and clip off the “tails.”

Cut pieces of braided nylon cord (each about 50 cm long) and tie their ends together to form a loop. Secure to each end of the transect line as shown.

“clipped” cable ties

braided nylon cord

These loops will be useful for securing the transect line to the substratum by looping over a protuberance (not live coral).

loop of braided nylon cord

eyelet at end of transect line

Loop a large black cable tie for the 0-m mark at one end of the transect line.

Measure out and add additional black ties every meter up to the final 10-m mark near the other end of the transect line (for a total of 11 cable ties).

Tighten each cable tie with pliers to secure its location, and clip its “tail.”

“clipped” cable tie meter mark

Measure out, and add smaller, colored cable ties every 10 cm between the 11 black meter marks (for a total of 90 colored cable ties). If possible, use two colors that alternate every meter for ease of use underwater.

Tighten all colored cable ties with pliers and clip their “tails.”

When possible, melt the clipped ends of the cable ties with a soldering iron (or equivalent) to remove sharp edges that can otherwise scratch or cut surveyors.

meter mark

“clipped” cable tie 10-cm mark

10 cm

0 m

2 m

4 m

6 m

8 m

10 m

1 m

3 m

5 m

7 m

9 m

10 cm

20 cm

30 cm

40 cm

50 cm

60 cm

70 cm

80 cm

90 cm

braided cord loops at each end of transect line

large black cable ties at 1-meter intervals

small colored cable ties at 10-cm intervals, when possible two colors that alternate every meter for convenience of benthic

surveyors.

unusually long “tail”

vent hole

Attach the loop at one end of the transect line to the carabiner.

(Note vent holes drilled in quadrat to keep it from floating.)

vent holes

loop clipped to caribiner

Wind the transect line around the quadrat to keep it from tangling.

Secure the free end of the transect line with a simple looping knot.

loop knot

Clipboard Example

Either attach 2 mechanical pencils with rubber bands or braided nylon string to a metal or plastic clipboard (or slate of about 23 cm × 30 cm — 9” × 12”), or attach one pencil and carry a spare in a secure location (BC pocket or tucked into wetsuit).

Detailed benthic surveys: attach a flexible, 15 cm plastic ruler (from Fisher Scientific) with its tip cut intoa point at the 0 cm mark.

Secure the appropriate UW BENTHOS datasheet to the clipboard with rubber bands.

Slide clipboard and meter stick between transect line loops for ease of transport.

TIP: Surveyors should wear spare rubber bands around their wrists to replace any that break during a dive. And don’t forget the spare pencils!

Coral Survey EquipmentSame as the detailed benthos survey equipment, except that the transect line only needs marking with black cable ties at every meter.

If funds permit, marking all transect lines with both black and colored cable ties allows each line to be used interchangeably for benthic or corals surveys.

Substitute the appropriate UW CORAL datasheet!

PVC tubing, ¾ inch internal diameter (¾” ID) ~1.6 mT-connector, ¾” ID 145° elbow, ¾” ID 1 PVC cement < 100 gm / 4 oz.braided nylon cord at least 40 cm / 15”black vinyl electrical tape ~ 400 cm / 150” fiberglass tape reel, 30 m / 100 ft 1 diving weight, 0.5-1 kilo / 1-2 lb 1large cable ties at least 4carabiner (or other secure clip) 1REEF slate (or any ~ 15 cm × 23 cm — 6”× 9” slate) 1stainless steel pan-head Phillips drive machine screws 2 of each and nylon insert lock nuts, 4 mm × 40 mm / # 8-32 × 1½” stainless steel washers to fit the screws at least 4rubber bands ~ 4-6appropriate UW FISH datasheet 1-2 / dive (varies with number of transects for each surveyor) pencil at least 2D-ring or clamp (attached to BC or weight belt) 1

Needed for each fish surveyor

1 meter total width Marked off in alternating 10-cm bands with black vinyl electrical tape.

Fish Survey Equipment

transect tape

T-bar

slate with UW- FISH

datasheet

Fish T-Bar ConstructionGlue the base of a T-connector to one end of a ¾” ID PVC tube that is about 60-cm long (will become the center bar).

Insert a piece of PVC tube that is > 50 cm long into each side of the T-connector (will become the arms). DO NOT GLUE! Measure and cut each arm to a length of exactly 50 cm from the center of the connector.

Wrap side arms and part of the T-connector with black vinyl electrical tape to make alternating 10-cm bands.

50-cm side arm

T-connector electrical tape

center bar

T-connector glued to center barbraided cord

hole

knot

Drill a hole at the inner end of each side arm.

Push the end of a reel of braided nylon cord (or at least ~40 cm / 15”) through one of the side arm holes. (If a loose piece, secure with a knot.)

Pull the cord from the end of this side arm and then push it through the T-connector. Using a loop of monofilament fishing line or other string inserted through the hole in the second arm will help in “fishing” the cord out through the second hole.

Cut the cord to length, allowing the side arms to hang beside the center bar, and secure the loose end(s) of the cord with a knot.

Glue a 45° elbow to the base of the center bar to make a more comfortable handle than just the cut end of the PVC tube.

handle(upper side)

handle(lower side)

Drills holes about 1 cm from the top and bottom edges along the midline of a REEF slate (or any 15 cm × 23 cm — 6” × 9” slate) large enough to insert 4 mm / # 8-32 pan-head Phillips drive machine screws.

Position the slate with its bottom edge ~ 7.5 cm / 3” above the 45° elbow on the handle and use the holes drilled in the slate to mark the placement of holes to drill through the top and bottom of the center bar.

Attachment Hardware — Side View

washers

nylon insert lock nut

head end of a pan-head Phillips drive machine screw

Position the slate on top of the center bar and insert the pan-head Phillips drive machine screws through the holes drilled in the slate and through the PVC tube. Using washers will help prevent the slate from cracking at the attachment points.

handle

REEF slate

pan-head of a Phillips drive machine screw

and two washers

Top View

~ 7.5 cm / 3”

Bottom View

Secure each screw with a matching nylon insert lock nut on the underside of the center bar, and tighten with a screwdriver.

Note: Cable ties (not shown) can be used to attach the slate to the center bar if stainless hardware is difficult to obtain.

Wrap several rubber bands around the slate to hold survey sheets.

rubber bands

nylon insert lock nuts

The appropriate FISH-UW datasheets (when folded) fit perfectly on a REEF slate (or one of equivalent size).

Tuck at least as many data sheets as needed to conduct one survey under rubber bands.

Use as many rubber bands as needed to secure the sheets top and bottom.

TIP: Wear spare rubber bands around your wrist to replace any that break during a dive.

Top View

rubber band

Pull the side arms out of the T-connector, fold them down along center bar, and tuck them under the rubber bands for convenience in transit and storage.

The side arms can be quickly released and inserted into the T-connector at the start of a survey dive.

Fish Transect Line Construction30 m / 100 ft fiberglass surveyor tape reels are available at most large home improvement or hardware stores.

Attach a small 0.5-1 kilo / 1-2 lb diving weight to the end of the tape using several cable ties. Tighten and clip the cable ties.

weight

“clipped” cable ties

Attach a clip or carabiner to the handle of the tape reel with several cable ties that are tightened and clipped.

This will allow the tape reel to be clipped to a D-ring or clamp on a BC or weight belt, allowing hands-free unreeling of the tape.

brass clip“clipped” cable ties

Detailed Fish Surveys: Use a permanent marker to place a band on both sides of the tape at the six points where the Max. Relief measurements will be made along the transect line.

The tape will twist underwater so marking both sides will make sure the point is always visible.

On metric tapes, put bands by the 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 m marks.

On imperial marked tapes, put bands by the 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 ft marks.

Note: marking all transect tapes allows each to be used interchangeably for both basic and detailed fish surveys.