AIMS’ Long-term Monitoring Program (LTMP) represents the longest continuous record of change in reef communities over such a large geographic area. As an integral element of the Reef Ecology and Monitoring program, the LTMP is responsible for surveying the health of inshore, mid-shelf and offshore reefs across the Great Barrier Reef region. The team of trained scientists survey reef fishes on SCUBA using underwater visual census along 50m transects, and also record corals and other benthic organisms along the same sections of reef each visit. As well as capturing the natural variability of coral and fish populations, the data documents effects of disturbances such as crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks, cyclones, and bleaching events. The data also provides awa