@article{fdi:010035686,
  title = {{M}edium scale approach ({MSA}) for improved assessment of coral reef fish habitat},
  author = {{C}lua, {E}. and {L}egendre, {P}. and {V}igliola, {L}. and {M}agron, {F}. and {K}ulbicki, {M}ichel and {S}arramegna, {S}. and {L}abrosse, {P}. and {G}alzin, {R}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{H}abitat characteristics play a critical role in structuring reef fish communities subjected to fishing pressure. {T}he line intercept transect ({LIT}) method provides an accurate quantitative description of the habitat, but in a very narrow corridor less than 1 m wide, {S}uch a scale is poorly adapted to the wide-ranging species that account for a significant part of these assemblages. {W}e developed an easy-to-use medium scale approach ({MSA}), based on a serni-quantitative description of 20 quadrats of 25 m(2) (500 m(2) in total). {W}e then simulated virtual reef landscapes of different complexities in a computer, on which we computed {MSA} using different methods of calculation. {T}hese simulations allowed us to select the best method of calculation, obtaining quantitative estimates with acceptable accuracy (comparison with the original simulated landscapes: {R}-2 ranging from 0.986 to 0.997); they also showed that {MSA} is a more efficient estimator than {LIT}, generating percentage coverage estimates that are less variable. {A} mensurative experiment based on thirty 50-m transects, conducted by three learns of two divers, was used to empirically compare the two estimators and assess their ability to predict fish-habitat relationships. {T}hree-factor multivariate {ANOVA}s ({T}eams, {R}eef, {M}ethods) revealed again that {LIT} produced habitat composition estimates that were more variable than {MSA}. {C}anonical analyses conducted on fish biomass data successively aggregated by mobility patterns, trophic groups, and size classes, showed the higher predictive power of {MSA} habitat data over {LIT}. {T}he {MSA} enriches the toolbox of methods available for reef habitat description at intermediate scale (< 1000 m(2)), between the scale where {LIT} is appropriate (< 100 m(2)) and the landscape approach (> 1000 m(2)). (c) 2005 {E}lsevier {B}.{V} {A}ll rights reserved.},
  keywords = {biomass ; fish habitat relationships ; line intercept transect ; medium scale approach ; {M}onte {C}arlo simulations ; reef habitat description ; reef surveys ; variance of estimator},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {E}xperimental {M}arine {B}iology and {E}cology},
  volume = {333},
  numero = {2},
  pages = {219--230},
  ISSN = {0022-0981},
  year = {2006},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.jembe.2005.12.010},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010035686},
}