Mapping the distribution of Northern Australia threatened species (NESP MB A12)

16 priority threatened and migratory marine species in Australia's North Marine Bioregion were identified from a pool of approximately 80 EPBC-listed species. The dataset results from a two-phase project involving gap analysis and collaboration with data custodians to compile new datasets and develop spatial models. It is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated in June 2026.

Use Cases

• Prioritizing research efforts for species with the most data gaps, such as Dwarf and Green Sawfish, based on the gap analysis described.
• Refining species distribution maps for conservation planning based on newly compiled spatial datasets.
• Assessing the impact of environmental pressures on threatened species distributions as identified in the project.
• Modeling habitat suitability for priority sharks, sawfishes, turtles, and dolphins using updated spatial data.

Strengths

• Focuses on 16 priority species selected through consultation with research end-users and experts.
• Identifies specific data gaps, ranking species like Dwarf and Green Sawfish as the most poorly-known.
• Project involved two phases: a gap analysis identifying new datasets and collaboration for data sharing agreements.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• New data collection is still required for all sharks, sawfishes, Hawksbill Turtle, and inshore dolphins to improve coverage for modeling.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Gap analysis and compilation of published/unpublished datasets, followed by collaboration with data custodians for spatial modeling.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 08:01:23.289739; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North Marine Bioregion, Northern Australia