<p>The spatialization of essential biodiversity variables is a crucial step when assessing coral reef health. However, few studies proposed a comprehensive method for a large-scale assessment. This requires a trade-off between the area, the study time, and the number of sampled stations needed to achieve spatial interpolations at an acceptable human and financial cost. Rapid assessment methods appear to be well suited for that. In this study, 2,599 circular plots per 100&#xa0;m² were sampled to assess nine visual benthic biodiversity indicators on Reunion Island (fringing reefs). The nine benthic biodiversity indicators were selected from the scientific literature, to characterize the structure and the vitality of benthic communities, as well as their resilience and resistance mechanisms. A stratified sampling plan was defined according to four sites, two zones (outer slope and reef flat) and 14 habitats. We first demonstrated that the sampling effort enabled statistical discrimination and spatialization of the nine benthic biodiversity indicators in all landscape units (site, zone, habitat). We then investigated the limits of spatial model reliability by reducing sampling effort at an increasing proportion of stations. Densities of 0.5 to 1.2 stations.ha⁻¹ (outer slopes) and 1.5 to 4.3 stations.ha⁻¹ (reef flats) provided good to excellent spatialization of the benthic biodiversity indicators. Depending on objectives, level of resolution and available resources, this method could be used to define the sampling effort required to map benthic biodiversity indicators on coral reefs using spatial interpolation and realistic sampling effort.</p>