A 1999 aerial survey mapped Macrocystis pyrifera (giant kelp) beds from Eddystone Point to South East Cape in Tasmania. The survey used a light aircraft and a Trimble GPS unit to track and mark bed boundaries on 1:100,000 topographical maps. Data was contributed by the Australian Ocean Data Network.
Use Cases
- Map historical distribution of Macrocystis pyrifera based on the 1999 aerial survey.
- Analyze coastal habitat changes by comparing GPS-tracked kelp bed boundaries over time.
- Assess marine conservation areas using the geospatial data of kelp bed locations.
- Model kelp forest ecology using the spatial extent data collected via aerial observation.
Strengths
- Survey conducted with Trimble GPS for precise boundary tracking.
- Data covers a significant coastline from Eddystone Point to South East Cape.
- Geospatial data is plotted on 1:100,000 scale maps for reference.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Freshness should be verified as the survey is from a single year (1999).
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Aerial survey from a light aircraft using GPS tracking and manual marking on maps.
- Time Range
- 1999
- Geography
- East coast of Tasmania, from Eddystone Point to South East Cape.