Hardy Inlet Seagrass Species Distribution and Cover Surveys

Underwater drop camera surveys of Hardy Inlet recorded seagrass and macroalgae distribution, percentage cover, canopy height, and epiphytic cover. Data was collected in December 2018 and January 2020, with water profiles and secchi depth recorded at approximately one-third of the sites. The dataset is provided as multiple geospatial layers.

Use Cases

• Map seagrass species distribution and percentage cover categories across Hardy Inlet for habitat assessment.
• Analyze the relationship between recorded canopy height intervals and epiphytic cover levels (low, medium, high).
• Model macroalgae percentage cover categories against physical water profile and secchi depth measurements from a subset of sites.
• Compare seagrass extent and cover polygons derived from point observations between the 2018 and 2020 survey years.

Strengths

• Surveys conducted in two distinct years (2018 and 2020) enabling temporal comparison.
• Includes derived polygon layers for seagrass extent and percentage cover alongside point observations.
• Records multiple biological metrics: species, cover categories, canopy height, epiphytic cover, and macroalgae cover.

Limitations

• Physical water profiles and secchi depth were only recorded at approximately one-third of the survey sites, limiting environmental correlation analysis.
• Cover and canopy height are recorded as categorical ranges (e.g., 1-10%, 10 cm intervals), not continuous measurements.
• Sample data and row/column counts are unavailable, preventing assessment of dataset scale and specific structure.

Provenance

Source

Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Geospatial and Data Services Manager.

Collection Method

Underwater drop camera observations.

Time Range

December 2018 and January 2020.

Freshness

Data last updated in March 2026, though the underlying surveys are from 2018 and 2020.

Geography

Hardy Inlet, Western Australia.