Oceanic Shoals Marine Reserve: Opportunistic Megafauna Surveys, Timor Sea 2012

Opportunistic visual surveys of marine megafauna were conducted in the Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve in the Timor Sea during September and October 2012. The resource comprises species lists and estimated counts of marine mammals, sea snakes, seabirds, and sea turtles. The survey was a key component of the Australian Government's National Environmental Research Program Marine Biodiversity Hub, involving partners like the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Geoscience Australia.

Use Cases

• Modeling species distribution and habitat use based on opportunistic sightings of marine megafauna.
• Assessing biodiversity and community composition within a Commonwealth Marine Reserve.
• Analyzing co-occurrence patterns of different marine megafauna groups (e.g., seabirds and sea turtles).
• Supporting marine bioregional planning with observational data on large wildlife.

Strengths

• Data is linked to a specific, documented research voyage (RV Solander, GA0339/SOL5650) with a published post-survey report (Geoscience Australia Record 2013/38).
• Surveys cover multiple taxonomic groups of marine megafauna, including mammals, reptiles, and birds.
• Collection was part of a larger, multidisciplinary survey that included oceanographic and seabed data, providing context.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for statistical modeling.
• Data reflects opportunistic sampling during transit, which may introduce spatial and temporal bias.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, collected by a consortium including Australian Institute of Marine Science, Geoscience Australia, University of Western Australia, Museum Victoria, and Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

Collection Method

Opportunistic visual surveys conducted from the RV Solander during transit and within the reserve.

Time Range

September and October 2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 01:29:45.754235; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve, Timor Sea