The biodiversity assessment is refined and includes the relative importance of each species. A biological diversity index that takes into account the number of individuals in each species is of scientific interest and applicable to the management of natural systems.

The value of the diversity index depends on whether there are dominant or rare species. A low index is associated with systems in transition and a high value in mature ecosystems. Also calculated are the genetic diversity and landscape diversity indexes, among others.

Counting individuals can be very simple or very complex. The study of the communities of organisms that live fixed to the seabed, the benthic organisms, has propitiated the technological ingenuity of researchers. An unobtrusive practice consists of photographing standard-sized areas of benthic organisms.