Raja Ampat, a remote archipelago of small islands and cays off New Guinea, has gained international scientific attention due to its high marine biodiversity and the discovery of multiple new species of corals and fish. The high levels of marine biodiversity in this region are an important part of Indonesia's natural heritage and global biodiversity. However, our understanding the processes responsible for shaping biodiversity patterns in this region are still lacking. The goals of this project are to describe the richness, study the status, and explain the spatial and temporal patterns in the biodiversity of Raja Ampat. Interest in these goals has gained momentum due to escalating anthropogenic impacts and the need to conserve resources in important hotspots of endemic species. This study employs a novel tool, Automated Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS), to monitor marine biodiversity gradients across the Raja Ampat Islands in a standardized, highly efficient, and statistically robust way. Analyses based on DNA barcoding and metagenomics will show 1) whether visual surveys of conspicuous groups like fish and corals (the subjects of traditional surveys) can reliably capture biodiversity patterns for inconspicuous groups (smaller invertebrates, algae, and microbes) that actually comprise the vast majority of marine biodiversity, and 2) whether marine biodiversity varies predictably as a function of conservation management strategy (e.g., Marine Protected Areas).