Jellyfish Abundance and Risk Forecasts for North Queensland, 2007-2009

Australian Ocean Data Network hosts surveys of jellyfish abundance across the continental shelf near Cooktown, Cairns, and the Palm Island Group. Data was collected over three summers from December 2007 using underwater light attraction, beam trawls, and plankton nets at inner, mid, and outer-shelf sites. Records include frequencies of target species like Carukia barnesi, with 96 individuals collected in 2007-2008.

Use Cases

• Modeling seasonal and cross-shelf abundance patterns of dangerous jellyfish based on multi-year, multi-site survey data.
• Forecasting public health risk from jellyfish stings based on species-specific frequency data for Carukia barnesi and others.
• Analyzing plankton community composition alongside jellyfish presence based on fine-mesh plankton samples taken at all sites.
• Studying genetic or elemental chemistry markers in jellyfish populations based on collected specimens mentioned for ancillary projects.

Strengths

• Multi-year temporal coverage across three consecutive summers starting in 2007.
• Structured sampling design across three cross-shelf transects and three depth strata.
• Includes specific abundance counts, such as 96 Carukia barnesi collected in 2007-2008.
• Multiple collection methods described, including beam trawl and plankton net sampling.

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 bias inherent to the three specific transects in North Queensland.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field surveys using underwater lights, beam trawls, and plankton nets at specified reef and island sites.

Time Range

2007 to 2009

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 22:35:55.160372; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Continental shelf near Cooktown, Cairns, and the Palm Island Group, Queensland, Australia.