ISO 19493:2007 provides guidance for marine biological surveys of supralittoral, eulittoral and sublittoral hard substrate for environmental impact assessment and monitoring in coastal areas. It comprises development of the sampling programme, survey methods, species identification and storage of data and collected material.

ISO 19493:2007 specifies the minimum requirements for environmental monitoring.

The methods are limited to surveys and semi-quantitative and quantitative recording techniques that cause little destruction of the fauna and flora. In practice, this refers to direct recording in the field and photography. Sampling by scraping off organisms, use of a suction sampler, etc. are not covered in ISO 19493:2007.