Polychaete Species Inventory from Oceanic Shoals Marine Park Surveys, 2009-2012

Przeslawski, Glasby, and Nichol's 2019 study provides a species-level inventory of polychaete worms from the Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park. The dataset includes 2,561 individual polychaetes from 266 sediment samples, representing 368 species and 43 families. It was collected during four marine surveys between 2009 and 2012 to establish baseline biodiversity data for marine management.

Use Cases

• Analyze polychaete community structure variation among surveys based on the species-level inventory.
• Model relationships between polychaete assemblages and environmental variables or geomorphology.
• Compare ecological patterns at different taxonomic resolutions (species vs. family) and functional groups (feeding, habitat, mobility).
• Establish biodiversity baselines for monitoring programs in marine protected areas.

Strengths

• Includes 2,561 individual specimens from 266 samples, providing a substantial count.
• Identifies 368 species and 43 families, including new species, genera, and family records for Australia.
• Data collected from four dedicated marine surveys between 2009 and 2012, offering temporal coverage.
• Study explicitly compares results with larger sessile fauna from the same surveys, providing context.

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 the specific survey locations and years.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Sediment samples were elutriated (500 μm) to separate macrofauna from four marine surveys.

Time Range

2009 to 2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 16:42:29.791517; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park, northern Australia