Oceanic Shoals Marine Reserve Predicted Pelagic Diversity from 2012 Survey

Predictive models estimate pelagic vertebrate species richness and relative abundance within sub-areas of the Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park. Models were constructed from in situ observations using baited remote underwater video systems deployed at 116 sites during a 2012 research expedition. The dataset was produced by a collaboration including the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Geoscience Australia, and the University of Western Australia, with methodology detailed in a 2020 peer-reviewed publication.

Use Cases

• Modeling species distribution patterns based on predicted pelagic vertebrate richness.
• Assessing marine protected area effectiveness based on relative abundance predictions.
• Planning future marine surveys based on the 116-site sampling design from 2012.

Strengths

• Predictive models are based on observations from 116 distinct sampling sites.
• Methodology is documented in a peer-reviewed 2020 publication (Front. Mar. Sci.).
• Data collection involved a multi-institutional partnership including AIMS, GA, and UWA.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is based on a single survey from September-October 2012; temporal coverage is limited.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au.

Collection Method

Predictive models constructed from in situ observations using mid-water stereo-BRUVS.

Time Range

Sampling occurred in September and October 2012.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 10:23:32.366548; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Sub-areas of the Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park in offshore tropical Australia.