Polychaete Biodiversity in the Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park, 2009-2012

Northern Australia's Oceanic Shoals region is the focus of this species-level inventory of polychaetes (marine worms). The dataset contains records of 2561 individual polychaetes from 266 sediment samples, representing 368 species and 43 families, collected during four marine surveys between 2009 and 2012. It was published by researchers from Geoscience Australia in 2019 to provide baseline ecological data for marine management.

Use Cases

• Analyze variation in polychaete species assemblages and functional groups between surveys as described in the study.
• Model relationships between polychaete community structure and environmental variables or geomorphology (plains vs. banks).
• Compare ecological patterns at different taxonomic resolutions (species vs. family level) for monitoring efficiency.
• Establish biodiversity baselines for the northern Australian shelf to inform marine management strategies.

Strengths

• Includes 2561 individual specimens from 266 samples, providing a substantial biological record.
• Identifies 368 species and 43 families, including new species, genera, and family records for Australia.
• Data is linked to a specific, peer-reviewed scientific publication (Marine and Freshwater Research, 2019).
• Covers a multi-year temporal scope with surveys conducted from 2009 to 2012.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific analytical tasks.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the four specific surveys conducted.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

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

Time Range

2009 to 2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 14:37:31.089568; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park, northern Australia