Masig Island Seagrass Survey with 154 Sites and Biomass Interpolation, August 2023

154 survey sites document seagrass presence, species composition, and biomass for Masig Island in the Torres Strait. The dataset, produced by TropWATER at James Cook University in August 2023, is structured into three GIS shapefiles detailing sites, meadow boundaries, and biomass interpolation. The full report was published in 2024 by Carter et al. and the Torres Strait Regional Authority Land and Sea Rangers.

Use Cases

• Mapping seagrass meadow boundaries based on field notes, satellite imagery, and site data mentioned in the description
• Modeling spatial variation in seagrass biomass using the interpolation layer
• Analyzing benthic community composition based on percent cover data for seagrass, algae, coral, and invertebrates
• Studying megafauna habitat use based on recorded presence of dugongs, turtles, and dolphins

Strengths

• Data is structured into three distinct GIS layers (site, meadow, interpolation) for specific analytical purposes
• Surveys cover 154 specific sites with detailed attributes including biomass, percent cover, and sediment type
• Methods were developed by TropWATER and tailored to the location, with detailed publications available

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single island survey in August 2023

Provenance

Source

TropWATER (Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research), James Cook University

Collection Method

Intertidal benthic surveys, with data entered into a Geographic Information System (ArcGIS 10.8) using satellite imagery, field notes, and aerial photographs.

Time Range

August 2023

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 06:19:44.358624; freshness should be verified

Geography

Masig Island, Torres Strait, Australia