Carnarvon Shelf Marine Survey Data from August-September 2008

The Carnarvon Shelf in Western Australia was surveyed in August and September 2008 by the CERF Marine Biodiversity Hub. The collaboration between the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Geoscience Australia aboard RV Solander collected physical and biological data across three main study areas: Mandu, Point Cloates, and Gnaraloo. This report describes the survey methods and initial interpretations of the collected datasets.

Use Cases

• Testing physical parameters as surrogates for biodiversity patterns based on the program's stated purpose
• Analyzing benthic community composition based on interpreted towed video and still photography
• Mapping seabed characteristics based on multibeam bathymetry, backscatter, and sediment samples
• Studying near-bottom plankton distribution based on the collected plankton samples

Strengths

• Data collection was a collaboration between two authoritative institutions: AIMS and Geoscience Australia
• Survey focused on three strategically selected study areas representative of broader environments
• The report provides initial interpretations of both physical data and encountered biota

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Additional processing of most physical and biological data is required before comparative analysis

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, via the CERF Marine Biodiversity Hub

Collection Method

Field survey aboard RV Solander, employing methods like multibeam sonar, sediment grabs, towed video, and plankton sampling

Time Range

August and September 2008

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 13:03:32.251501; freshness should be verified

Geography

Carnarvon Shelf, Western Australia, specifically Mandu, Point Cloates, Gnaraloo, and near the Muiron Islands