Dugong Distribution and Relative Density in Northern Great Barrier Reef, 1990-2013

A 24-year aggregate (1990-2013) of systematic aerial surveys provides a raster spatial model of dugong distribution and relative density in the northern Great Barrier Reef region. The data was collected by tandem observer teams using strip transect methods, corrected for sampling differences, and interpolated using universal kriging. The dataset is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network and stored in ESRI GRID and GeoTIFF formats.

Use Cases

• Modeling marine protected area effectiveness based on relative dugong density classifications.
• Analyzing long-term habitat use patterns based on 24 years of aerial survey data.
• Planning coastal development and shipping routes to avoid high-density dugong areas.
• Studying the impact of environmental changes on dugong distribution across a depth gradient.

Strengths

• Data aggregates 24 years of systematic aerial surveys from 1990 to 2013.
• Spatial model has a resolution of 2km x 2km planning units classified into four density levels.
• Methodology is documented with references to specific survey reports and publications.

Limitations

• Data shows relative, not absolute, density as corrections for perception and availability bias were not applied at this spatial scale.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Freshness should be verified; last metadata update was 2026-07-10.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, referencing surveys by researchers including H. Marsh.

Collection Method

Aerial surveys using strip transect method with tandem observer teams, data corrected and interpolated using universal kriging.

Time Range

1990 to 2013

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 14:55:27.266200; freshness should be verified

Geography

Northern Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, WGS84 UTM Zone 54S.