Fish and Benthic Survey of Cairns Trawl Grounds Using BRUVS

A survey recorded 2,704 individual fish, sharks, rays, and sea snakes from 78 species using 91 baited remote underwater video stations. Observations include species identity, time of arrival, behavior, maturity, and relative abundance metrics. The data was collected by the Australian Ocean Data Network in the Cairns region from January 23 to 28, 2002.

Use Cases

• Analyze species distribution and relative abundance (MaxN) across different benthic habitat classifications.
• Model the time elapsed before MaxN or feeding behavior occurs based on species identity and maturity status.
• Investigate correlations between fish behavior categories (e.g., feeding on bait) and habitat topography or sediments.
• Assess community composition using CAABCODES and maturity (adult/juvenile) data for the 78 observed species.

Strengths

• Contains observations of 2,704 individuals from 78 distinct species.
• Data collection utilized 91 standardized baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS).
• Records multiple analytical dimensions including behavior (8 categories), maturity, and habitat classification.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to a single week of surveying in January 2002, restricting seasonal analysis.
• The underlying tabular data structure and column definitions are not provided, complicating direct analysis.
• Data may be biased towards species attracted to the bait used in the BRUVS methodology.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Collected using baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) with analysis via a custom Microsoft Access interface.

Time Range

2002-01-23 to 2002-01-28

Freshness

Data is from 2002, though metadata was last updated in 2026.

Geography

Cairns region trawl grounds, Australia