Australia is uniquely placed to develop standardised national approaches to monitor the marine environment, and we have therefore released a suite of field manuals for the acquisition of marine benthic data so that data are directly comparable in time and through space. The manuals include selected frequently-used sampling platforms: Multibeam sonar, autonomous underwater vehicles, baited remote underwater video, towed cameras, grabs and box corers, and sleds and trawls. The main challenge in the development of these manuals was to find a balance between being overly prescriptive (such that people follow their own protocol, ignoring the manuals) and overly flexible (such that data is not consistent and comparable). A collaborative approach was paramount, and ultimately, over 65 individuals from 30 organisations contributed to the field manuals. This not only improved the content but also increased the potential for adoption across multiple agencies and programs. Future work is based on the understanding that sampling protocols should be periodically updated, lest they become superseded or obsolete. Version 2 of the field manual package is due for completion in late 2018, including potential new manuals and a long-term plan for their management and integration into a national Australian monitoring program.