62 visual sightings of whales, dolphins, and sharks were recorded during dedicated aerial surveys within and around the Bremer Marine Park in southern Western Australia. The data reflect 25 hours of observer effort on transect and include four identifiable species: killer whales, sperm whales, long-finned pilot whales, and bottlenose dolphins. This dataset was created as part of a NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub project and is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network.
Use Cases
- Modeling cetacean distribution patterns based on aerial survey transect data.
- Assessing species diversity and relative abundance of marine megafauna in a marine park.
- Supporting marine spatial planning and conservation efforts based on geospatial sighting locations.
Strengths
- Data includes 62 specific sightings of marine megafauna.
- Surveys represent 25 hours of dedicated observer effort on transect.
- Sightings cover four identifiable cetacean species.
Limitations
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Data may reflect geographic/temporal bias inherent to data_gov_au.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Dedicated aerial visual surveys conducted as part of a NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub project.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-07-09 23:01:07.981509; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Bremer Marine Park and surrounding areas, southern Western Australia.