IMOS National Reef Monitoring Network: Shallow Reef Fish Abundance and Biomass

The IMOS National Reef Monitoring Network sub-Facility collates shallow reef survey data from multiple contributors across Australia. The dataset contains records of bony fishes and elasmobranchs collected by Reef Life Survey and Australian Temperate Reef Collaboration divers along 50-meter transects on shallow rocky and coral reefs. Data includes species abundance, size, and biomass information from quantitative survey blocks.

Use Cases

• Establishing national marine baselines based on coordinated survey data from multiple agencies.
• Monitoring changes in reef fish abundance and biomass over time for conservation management.
• Analyzing species distribution and community structure on shallow rocky and coral reefs.
• Supporting the management of Commonwealth and State marine reserves with standardized survey data.

Strengths

• Data is collated from multiple authoritative contributors including Reef Life Survey, Parks Australia, and several state government departments.
• Surveys follow a standardized method using 50-meter transects and quantitative blocks, ensuring methodological consistency.
• The dataset supersedes a previous specific collection, indicating ongoing curation and updates.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale analyses.
• Data freshness should be verified despite a last updated date in 2026.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, collating data from Reef Life Survey, Australian Temperate Reef Collaboration, and multiple Australian government agencies.

Collection Method

Collected by divers using standard methods along 50-meter transects on shallow reefs, with abundance and biomass recorded within quantitative survey blocks.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 20:31:39.464908.

Geography

Shallow reefs around Australia, including rocky and coral reef environments.