Fish and Benthic Survey of Southern Great Barrier Reef Shoals via BRUVS

8,953 individual fish, shark, ray, and sea snake observations from 192 species were recorded using 43 baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) around the Southern Great Barrier Reef in February 2007. The dataset includes 1,285 images and records features such as species identity, time of arrival, behavior, maturity, and relative abundance (MaxN). It was collected by the Australian Ocean Data Network for habitat and marine life analysis.

Use Cases

• Analyze species distribution and relative abundance (MaxN) across different benthic habitat classifications.
• Model the time elapsed before maximum observed count (MaxN) or feeding behavior occurs based on species and maturity (adult/juvenile).
• Classify fish behavior into 8 categories, including feeding on bait, using species identity and time of arrival data.
• Build a reference library for 192 species using the associated 1,285 images and CAABCODE identifiers.

Strengths

• Contains 8,953 individual observations providing a substantial sample for ecological analysis.
• Documents 192 distinct species, offering broad taxonomic coverage of fish, sharks, rays, and sea snakes.
• Includes 1,285 reference images and data from 43 separate BRUVS deployments, adding visual context and spatial replication.

Limitations

• Data is from a single, short survey period (February 2007), limiting analysis of seasonal or long-term trends.
• The core observational data may be stored in a custom Microsoft Access interface, which could require specific software or conversion for modern analysis.
• Image data is a subset (approximately 3,500 'best' images in a reference library) of the total captured, which may introduce a selection bias.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Collected using 43 baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS).

Time Range

2007-02-05 to 2007-02-20

Freshness

Data was last updated in the system on 2026-03-21, but the underlying survey was conducted in 2007.

Geography

Shoals in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia