Shallow Reef Survey Site Locations Worldwide

Featuring site locations for shallow reef surveys conducted by the Reef Life Survey and Australian Temperate Reef Network. It supports the establishment of national marine baselines and management of marine reserves. The data is contributed by multiple Australian government and research agencies.

Use Cases

• Map survey site locations to analyze global reef monitoring coverage and identify geographic gaps.
• Analyze site separation rules, where sites require a minimum of 200 m separation unless divided by a significant geological feature.
• Support temporal change analysis by linking site information to repeated transect surveys conducted on specific dates.
• Facilitate habitat studies by categorizing sites based on reef type (rocky or coral) and associated geological features.

Strengths

• Data is aggregated from multiple authoritative contributors including Reef Life Survey and several Australian state departments.
• Sites are defined with clear spatial criteria, requiring a minimum of 200 m separation or a significant geological discontinuity.
• The dataset is part of a national monitoring network aimed at establishing marine baselines.

Limitations

• The specific data schema, including column names and row count, is not provided in the input.
• Sample data is unavailable, making preliminary assessment of data structure and values difficult.
• Primary file formats (PDF, WMS, WFS) are not ideal for direct quantitative analysis without conversion.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Collated, cleaned, and stored from shallow reef surveys conducted using scientific methods by scientists and trained recreational SCUBA divers.

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-03-20.

Geography

Global coverage of shallow rocky and coral reefs, with tags indicating specific regional seas and oceans worldwide.