IMOS National Reef Monitoring Network: Global Shallow Reef Survey Site Locations

The National Reef Monitoring Network centralizes shallow reef surveys from multiple contributors across Australia. Data from Reef Life Survey and the Australian Temperate Reef Network is collated, cleaned, and made rapidly available to establish marine baselines and assist reserve management. This specific dataset shows the locations of RLS and ATRC survey sites on shallow rocky and coral reefs worldwide.

Use Cases

• Establishing national marine baselines based on centralized survey data from multiple agencies.
• Assisting with the management of Commonwealth and State marine reserves based on site and transect information.
• Analyzing changes in local reef biodiversity over time based on freely available survey site data.
• Coordinating scientific surveys of rocky and coral reefs to improve coastal stewardship.

Strengths

• Data is collated, cleaned, and made rapidly available from multiple contributing agencies and research programs.
• Site locations are defined with clear criteria, such as a minimum 200-meter separation or significant habitat discontinuity.
• Data contributes to establishing national marine baselines and supports marine reserve management.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• File formats include PDF, HTML, WMS, WFS, PNG, which may require specific tools for analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, aggregating data from Reef Life Survey, Parks Australia, and multiple state departments.

Collection Method

Surveys of rocky and coral reefs conducted using scientific methods, coordinated by the Reef Life Survey and Australian Temperate Reef Network.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 13:45:01.011234; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Shallow reefs around Australia and worldwide.