Fish and Benthic Survey of Mackay Great Barrier Reef 2003

A 2003 survey recorded 7,019 individual fish, sharks, rays, and sea snakes from 109 species using 100 baited underwater video stations around the Mackay region of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The dataset includes 805 images and annotations for habitat classification, species identity, arrival time, behavior, maturity, and relative abundance (MaxN). Data was collected during Cruise 2 of the Seabed Project from November 22 to December 8, 2003.

Use Cases

• Analyze species composition and relative abundance (MaxN) across different benthic habitat classifications.
• Model the time of arrival and feeding behavior for different fish species using the 8 recorded behavior categories.
• Compare the maturity (adult/juvenile) distributions of observed species against habitat topography and sediments.
• Use the CAABCODES and species identity fields to link observations with external taxonomic databases.

Strengths

• Contains 7,019 individual observations from 109 distinct species.
• Includes 805 images from 100 baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS).
• Records multiple analytical features per observation, including habitat classification, behavior (8 categories), maturity, and relative abundance (MaxN).

Limitations

• The dataset is temporally limited to a single 17-day cruise in 2003, offering no longitudinal perspective.
• Sample size for specific species or behaviors may be small, limiting statistical power for rare events.
• Data entry and analysis rely on a custom Microsoft Access interface, which may require specific software or conversion for modern use.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Collected using 100 baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) during a research cruise.

Time Range

2003-11-22 to 2003-12-08

Freshness

Data is from 2003; metadata was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Mackay region, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia