Masig Island Seagrass Survey Data with Biomass Interpolation, August 2023

Three GIS shapefiles summarise intertidal benthic surveys of Masig Island, Torres Strait, conducted in August 2023. The dataset includes a point shapefile describing seagrass presence/absence and species composition across 154 sites, a meadow shapefile, and an interpolation shapefile for biomass variation. The work was conducted by TropWATER at James Cook University and the Torres Strait Regional Authority Land and Sea Rangers.

Use Cases

• Map seagrass meadow boundaries based on field notes, satellite imagery, and site presence/absence data.
• Analyze spatial variation in seagrass biomass across the intertidal zone using the interpolation layer.
• Study benthic community composition based on percent cover data for seagrass, algae, corals, and invertebrates.
• Assess habitat condition by examining sediment type and open substrate cover at survey sites.
• Monitor megafauna presence, such as dugongs and turtles, based on field observations noted in the site layer.

Strengths

• Includes data from 154 distinct survey sites, providing a detailed spatial sample.
• Integrates multiple data sources: field surveys, satellite imagery, and aerial photography for boundary delineation.
• Contains detailed per-site metrics including biomass, species composition, and benthic cover percentages.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-06-17 07:25:11.032072; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

TropWATER (Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research), James Cook University, and Torres Strait Regional Authority Land and Sea Rangers.

Collection Method

Field surveys tailored by TropWATER, with data processed in ArcGIS 10.8 using rectified satellite imagery and aerial photographs.

Time Range

August 2023

Freshness

Survey conducted August 2023; metadata last updated June 2026.

Geography

Masig Island, Torres Strait, Australia