Tasmanian Kelp Forest Biomass Survey from 1986

A survey of the east Tasmanian coastline from Musselroe Bay to South East Cape revealed a total of 10 km2 of Macrocystis pyrifera kelp forest. The survey was conducted from a light aeroplane in 1986, with bed outlines digitized on maps using Mapinfo. Weight per unit area was estimated from harvested quadrats at several coastal sites.

Use Cases

• Model historical kelp forest extent based on the 10 km2 area mapped.
• Estimate potential harvest yields using the provided rate of 5 ton/acre.
• Analyze fluctuations in biomass linked to factors like water temperature and storm damage mentioned in the description.
• Conduct spatial analysis of coastal marine habitats using the digitized bed outlines.

Strengths

• Provides a concrete total area of kelp forest: 10 km2.
• Includes a specific biomass yield estimate: 5 ton/acre or 1.23 kg/m2.
• Cites a temporal range for harvest records: 1965-72.
• Describes a clear survey methodology: aerial observation and quadrat sampling.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is from a single survey year (1986); freshness should be verified.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Aerial survey from a light aeroplane, with ground-truthing via harvested quadrats.

Time Range

Survey conducted in 1986, with reference to historical records from 1965-72.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 03:49:28.637343; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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