Australian Ocean Data Network provides data on the abundance of macroinvertebrates associated with 28 experimental artificial reefs supporting different patch sizes and density of kelp (Ecklonia radiata) off Maria Island, Tasmania. Macroinvertebrates were assessed by diver-based visual census conducted between November 2015 and December 2016. This data was collected to examine how the patch size and density of kelp influences the establishment of macroinvertebrate assemblages.
Use Cases
- Modeling the relationship between kelp patch size and macroinvertebrate abundance based on the experimental reef design.
- Analyzing seasonal or temporal trends in invertebrate establishment based on the 13-month survey period.
- Comparing macroinvertebrate assemblage composition across different kelp density treatments.
- Studying the ecological role of artificial reefs in supporting marine biodiversity off the coast of Tasmania.
Strengths
- Data collection involved 28 distinct experimental artificial reefs, allowing for controlled comparisons.
- Temporal coverage spans 13 months from November 2015 to December 2016, capturing potential seasonal variation.
- Data collection method is specified as diver-based visual census, providing a direct observational record.
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 modeling.
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Diver-based visual census
- Time Range
- November 2015 to December 2016
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-04 13:01:00.895441; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Maria Island, Tasmania, Australia