Benthic Biota of Northern Australia: SS2012t07 Survey Specimens

Survey SS2012t07 collected benthic marine specimens during a transit between Darwin and Cairns from 15-24 October 2012. The program gathered 261 voucher specimens, primarily sponges and cnidarians, for biodiversity and natural products research. The data was acquired by the R.V. Southern Surveyor using an ROV and benthic sled in areas previously mapped by Geoscience Australia.

Use Cases

• Analyze benthic community composition based on specimen counts and biomass data for sponges and cnidarians.
• Map species distribution based on sampling locations in the Wessel Islands CMR and a bank feature.
• Identify candidate specimens for natural products screening based on sample weights and intended lodgment at the ABL and NCI.

Strengths

• 261 voucher specimens collected during the survey.
• Specimen biomass quantified, with sponges accounting for ~139 kg and cnidarians for 30 kg.
• Sampling locations are defined, referencing specific areas (Area I, Area II) from a prior Geoscience Australia survey.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Collected via ROV and benthic sled during a research vessel transit.

Time Range

15-24 October 2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 12:46:32.425854; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Australia, between Darwin and Cairns, including the Wessel Islands CMR.