Australian Reef Mobile Macroinvertebrate Abundance Surveys

Comprising records of mobile macroinvertebrate abundance collected by divers along 50-meter transects on shallow rocky and coral reefs around Australia. Data is contributed by multiple organizations including Reef Life Survey and the Australian Temperate Reef Collaboration, using standardized survey methods. The dataset supersedes a previous collection, with provision of the old data stopped in June 2021.

Use Cases

• Analyze species abundance patterns across different 'Block' survey units within 50m transects.
• Assess biodiversity changes over time for specific invertebrate groups like sea stars, urchins, and crabs.
• Compare macroinvertebrate community data collected concurrently with cryptobenthic fish observations as part of 'Method 2' surveys.
• Investigate survey methodology differences, such as the typical number of 'Blocks' completed per transect by different contributing programs (ATRC and RLS).

Strengths

• Data is collated, cleaned, and stored centrally from multiple contributing organizations and agencies.
• Surveys follow standardized methods, with observations recorded along defined 50-meter transects and within specific 'Block' swathes.
• The dataset supersedes and consolidates a previous specific collection, indicating ongoing curation.

Limitations

• The specific number of rows (survey records), columns (features), and total data size are unknown.
• Sample data and a detailed column schema are unavailable, limiting initial assessment of data structure.
• File formats listed (PDF, WMS, WFS, HTML, PNG) suggest the data may be accessed via reports or map services rather than a direct tabular download.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, collating data from contributors including Reef Life Survey, Parks Australia, and various state government departments.

Collection Method

Data collected by scientific divers along 50m transects on shallow reefs, searching reef surfaces within defined 'Block' swathes for mobile macroinvertebrates.

Freshness

The metadata record was last updated on 2026-03-20.

Geography

Shallow reefs around Australia, with tags indicating relevance to surrounding regional seas and global oceans.