Hard Coral Species Distribution Across Western Australia and the Great Barrier Reef

Parks Australia compiled a dataset of approximately 3,500 records detailing the biogeographic distribution of hard corals along a ~2,500 km latitudinal gradient in Western Australia. The data, manually transcribed from printed reports and digital records, includes 361 species from 17 families and 83 genera, validated against the World Register of Marine Species. This dataset was created to guide species selection for laboratory experiments on the effects of dredging activities on corals.

Use Cases

• Analyzing latitudinal species diversity gradients based on the ~2,500 km transect from Ashmore Reef to the Recherche Archipelago.
• Comparing coral species composition between Western Australia and the central Great Barrier Reef based on the ~240 species overlap.
• Selecting representative coral species for laboratory studies based on criteria like cross-coast presence, morphology, and reproductive strategy.
• Studying biogeographic clustering patterns between tropical reefal and subtropical non-reef areas using similarity indices.

Strengths

• Contains approximately 3,500 validated records of hard coral occurrences.
• Documents 361 distinct coral species from 17 families and 83 genera across Western Australia.
• Data was validated against the authoritative World Register of Marine Species (WORMS) to account for taxonomic changes.
• Compares species lists from Western Australia with the central Great Barrier Reef, identifying a pool of ~154 overlapping species.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and source bias inherent to the specific museum and study reports used.

Provenance

Source

Parks Australia, incorporating data from the Western Australia Museum (WAM) and the Museum of Tropical Queensland (MTQ).

Collection Method

Data was manually transcribed from printed, hard copy reports into a spreadsheet database, combined with digital records.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-15 03:07:18.024875; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Western Australia (from Ashmore Reef at 12°S to the Recherche Archipelago at 34°S) and the central Great Barrier Reef.