IMOS Wireless Sensor Networks: Great Barrier Reef Bio-Physical Measurements

Sensor data from 2008 to 2022, collected by the IMOS Wireless Sensor Networks Facility across multiple reefs in the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian Ocean Data Network manages this network, which provides real-time, spatially dense measurements of marine conditions. The facility's funding ceased in June 2022, with some sites decommissioned or transferred to the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

Use Cases

• Model coral bleaching events based on the interaction of heat and light data.
• Analyze reef productivity based on sensor data related to upwelling from the Coral Sea.
• Study benthic ecosystem dynamics based on real-time, spatially dense bio-physical measurements.
• Evaluate sensor network technology for marine monitoring based on this large-scale proof-of-concept trial.

Strengths

• Provides real-time data streams, enabling immediate analysis.
• Offers spatially dense measurements across multiple reef sites.
• Focuses on two specific scientific questions: coral bleaching and upwelling impact.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Several sites have been partially or fully decommissioned between 2008 and 2022.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Data collected by an array of wirelessly interconnected sensors deployed in the Great Barrier Reef.

Time Range

2008 - 2022

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-06 05:28:10.769146; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia