Australasian Seabird Sightings And Tracking Data Aggregated Since 1939

Aggregated seabird occurrence data combines vessel-based visual surveys, historical ship logs, and animal-borne telemetry from multiple CSIRO-hosted OBIS datasets. Records span from 1939 to the present and include species identity, counts, behavior, and movement ecology. The product is standardized to Darwin Core and managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Model species distribution using H3 spatial index and Australian Marine Region tags for spatial filtering.
• Analyze migration routes and foraging ranges from light-level geolocator (GLS) and satellite/GPS tracking data.
• Study population trends over time by synthesizing historical ship-log sightings with contemporary vessel-based watch observations.
• Correlate seabird behavior and counts with environmental context data recorded as measurement-or-fact alongside vessel tracks.

Strengths

• Temporal coverage extends from 1939 to ongoing, providing a multi-decade baseline.
• Data integrates multiple observation types: visual surveys, ship logs, and animal tracking for cross-study synthesis.
• Records are standardized to Darwin Core and taxonomically aligned with the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column details, and sample sizes are not provided.
• Data aggregation from multiple sources may introduce inconsistencies in observation effort or methodology.
• Geographic coverage is focused on the Australasian region and Southern Ocean, limiting global applicability.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, collating CSIRO-hosted Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) datasets.

Collection Method

Aggregated from platform-based visual surveys, voyage-based watch observations, archival ship logs, and animal-borne tracking programs.

Time Range

1939 to ongoing.

Freshness

Last updated April 2026.

Geography

Australasian region, Southern Ocean, and beyond.