Australian Ocean Data Network hosts data quantifying motile cryptofauna in dead coral at Davies Reef. Samples were collected in November 1985 and August 1986 across seven reef locations, with counts and biomass measured for taxonomic groups like amphipods and polychaetes. The research aimed to assess variations in density, biomass, and grazing rates of cryptofauna across environmental zones and damselfish territories.
Use Cases
- Modeling cryptofauna grazing rates based on calculated ingestion rates and measured biomass.
- Comparing cryptofauna density and biomass inside versus outside damselfish territories.
- Analyzing seasonal variation in cryptofaunal abundance based on repeated sampling in August 1986.
- Assessing the relationship between algal biomass (via chlorophyll a) and cryptofauna distribution.
Strengths
- Data includes five replicate samples collected at each of six sites where possible.
- Biomass was measured as ash-free dry weight for five common taxonomic groups.
- Sampling was repeated in August 1986 at two locations to estimate seasonal variation.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Biomass measurements were made for the November 1985 samples only.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Samples of dead corals were collected by enclosing substrate in a bag and detaching pieces with a hammer. Cryptofauna were extracted in a lab and counted.
- Time Range
- Primary sampling in November 1985, with repeated sampling in August 1986.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-08 21:43:15.262712; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Davies Reef, Great Barrier Reef, at seven specific locations including front slope, crest, main flat, and back reef.