Polychaete Species Inventory from Northern Australia Oceanic Shoals

Northern Australia's Oceanic Shoals region contains a biodiversity inventory of 2,561 individual polychaetes collected from 266 sediment samples between 2009 and 2012. The dataset represents 368 species and 43 families, including new species and family records for Australia. It was compiled by researchers to examine community variation, environmental relationships, and functional group patterns for marine management.

Use Cases

• Analyze polychaete species assemblages across the four surveys to detect temporal or spatial variation in community structure.
• Model relationships between environmental variables or geomorphology (e.g., plains vs. banks) and polychaete functional groups (feeding, habitat, mobility).
• Compare ecological patterns at different taxonomic resolutions, such as species-level versus family-level classifications.
• Establish baseline biodiversity metrics for the 368 species and 43 families to support monitoring of the Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park.

Strengths

• Contains 2,561 individual specimen records from 266 systematically collected samples.
• Documents 368 polychaete species and 43 families, including new taxonomic records for Australia.
• Data spans four marine surveys conducted over a defined time period (2009-2012) in a specific geographic region.

Limitations

• Sample size is moderate (2,561 individuals), which may limit statistical power for rare species or complex multivariate analyses.
• The dataset is temporally static, covering a historical period (2009-2012) without ongoing updates.
• Lack of accessible column definitions or sample data hinders immediate understanding of data structure and variables.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data, associated with a published study in Marine and Freshwater Research.

Collection Method

Specimens collected from sediment samples elutriated at 500 μm during four marine surveys to the Oceanic Shoals AMP.

Time Range

2009 to 2012

Freshness

Data reflects surveys from 2009-2012; metadata was last updated in 2026.

Geography

Oceanic Shoals Australian Marine Park, northern Australia