Macrocystis Kelp Forest Survey of East Tasmania, 1986

A Survey of the Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. Agardh Stocks on the East Coast of Tasmania, 1986 documents a total of 10 km² of kelp forest found via aerial survey and boat-based research. The dataset includes estimated harvestable biomass of 12,300 tonnes, derived from historical company records and on-site quadrat sampling. It provides a geospatial record of bed locations digitized onto 1:100,000 maps, noting fluctuations in stock linked to ocean temperature and storm events.

Use Cases

• Estimating historical biomass availability for commercial harvesting based on yield calculations of 1.23 kg/m².
• Mapping the spatial distribution of Macrocystis pyrifera beds along the Tasmanian east coast from Musselroe Bay to South East Cape.
• Analyzing long-term fluctuations in kelp forest extent linked to environmental factors like water temperature and nutrient concentration.
• Validating aerial survey methodologies with ground-truthed quadrat samples from specific coastal sites.

Strengths

• Combines multiple survey methods: aerial mapping and ground-based quadrat sampling for validation.
• Provides specific, quantified estimates: 10 km² total area and 12,300 tonnes of harvestable biomass.
• Includes historical context with data spanning 1965-1972 from industry records.

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are not provided, limiting direct analysis.
• Metadata fields such as license, author, and exact row count are consistently missing across sources.
• Relies partially on anecdotal reports for some unsurveyed areas, as noted in one description.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Aerial survey from a light aeroplane, supplemented by boat-based searches and quadrat harvesting; beds were marked on 1:100,000 maps and digitized using MapInfo.

Time Range

Survey conducted in 1986, with historical records referenced from 1965-1972.

Freshness

2026-06-16 18:01:49.680242

Geography

East coast of Tasmania, from Musselroe Bay to South East Cape.