A new multispecies benthic invertebrate monitoring programis being developed to quantitativelymonitor stock abundance over time on the BC coast.This dive survey isdesigned to monitorabundance of Green (Strongylocentrotusdroebachiensis), Red(Mesocentrotus franciscanus)and Purple (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) Sea Urchin, Giant Red Sea Cucumber(Apostichopus californicus), Northern Abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana), Sunflower Star(Pycnopodiahelianthoides)and Pacific Geoduck (Panopea generosa) populations, and alsotocollectdetailed habitat information on substrate and algae. The survey protocol was developedin 2016 and is described in detail. Pilotsurveys were conducted in different areas of the coastfrom 2016 to2021.Datafrom these pilot surveys, along with data from single-species surveys(1978 to 2021), were analysed to make recommendations on optimal survey design for the newmonitoring program. The methods included reviewing single-species analyses that informedsamplingintensity on transects, looking at historic maximum transect lengths, investigatingstratification variables, and using an acceptance sampling method to determine the minimumrequirednumber of transects, given predefinedrisks andprobabilitiesassociatedwith beingabove or below reference points. In addition, densities of the GiantRed Sea Cucumber and sizeand habitat subsets of Red Sea Urchin populations were estimated as an example of how thesedata could be used to assess stock statusin the future.The recommendations on survey designwere to:1) Use the dive survey protocol described in Appendix 12.1 of the Research Document;2) Exclude sections of shoreline with fetch values lower than 20,000 m or higher than 2.52million m;3)Ensure surveys occurat the same time of year to avoid introducing seasonalvariation to the data;4)Use the common (across species) coast wide standard deviation-to-mean ratio of density (animalsper m2)equal to1.27 in calculations to determine thetargetnumber of transects to be sampled;5)Conduct at least 240 transects coast wide to estimatestock status;6)Implement a two-stage, random sampling design that minimizes the timerequired to cover the entire BC coast and optimizes the efficient useof available resources; and7)Continue to explore pre-or post-stratification variables to improve survey precision, as databecome available.