Atypical Coral Reef Habitats in the Kimberley, Australia, from 2009/2010 Surveys

New survey records document two unique coral habitats discovered at Adele Island and Long Reef in the Kimberley Nearshore Bioregion. The dataset, provided by Parks Australia, reports a subtidal mixed corallith and rhodolith habitat and an atypical Organ Pipe Coral habitat with high benthic cover. This research aims to fill knowledge gaps about the region's marine biodiversity and its conservation significance.

Use Cases

• Assessing conservation significance based on the description of unique and unprecedented coral habitats.
• Studying benthic cover and species assemblages associated with the described Organ Pipe Coral habitat.
• Analyzing the distribution of corallith and rhodolith habitats in Australian tropical reef systems.
• Informing marine park management and conservation recommendations based on the survey findings.

Strengths

• Documents two specific, unique coral habitats (mixed corallith/rhodolith and Organ Pipe Coral) considered unprecedented in Australia.
• Provides empirical evidence on benthic cover for a commercially valuable species.
• Source is Parks Australia, an authoritative government organization for marine parks.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified; the underlying surveys were conducted in 2009/2010.

Provenance

Source

Parks Australia, referencing the Woodside 2009/2010 Collection Project surveys.

Collection Method

Marine surveys conducted in the Kimberley Nearshore Bioregion.

Time Range

2009-2010

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-16 23:05:14.268304; freshness should be verified

Geography

Adele Island and Long Reef in the Kimberley region, Australia.