This introduction to basic concepts of biodiversity-sampling outlines standardized field methods for macroalgae and seagrass communities developed by NaGISA (Natural Geography in Shore Areas, a project operating under the international Census of Marine Life). NaGISA promotes simple standardized protocols and focuses on widespread nearshore habitats. Sampling Biodiversity in Coastal Communities, written by premier coastal ecologists and taxonomists, provides a text for field courses, a manual for coastal managers, and a reference guide for researchers studying biodiversity or preparing species inventories.
P. Robin Rigby and Yoshihisa Shirayama are associated with the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory at Kyoto University; Katrin Iken is with the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska.