Polychaetes of Northern Australia: Species Identifications from 2009-2012 Surveys

Four marine surveys conducted between 2009 and 2012 on the RV Solander in northern Australia collected polychaete specimens. Taxonomists Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson identified each animal to species or operational taxonomic unit, with specimens lodged at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. This research was supported by the National Environmental Science Program Marine Biodiversity Hub.

Use Cases

• Analyze polychaete species composition and diversity based on survey data from northern Australia.
• Study the distribution of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) across different survey locations and times.
• Validate taxonomic identifications against established species names for regional biodiversity catalogs.
• Correlate species occurrences with specific sediment sampling methods (Smith McIntyre grab or boxcore).

Strengths

• Specimens were taxonomically identified by named experts (Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson) to the lowest possible level.
• Data covers four distinct survey voyages over a multi-year period (2009, 2010, 2012).
• Specimens are physically archived at a recognized institution (Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale statistical analysis.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the specific survey voyages.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, published via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Sediment collected with Smith McIntyre grab or boxcore, elutriated over a 500um sieve, sorted at Geoscience Australia, and identified by taxonomists.

Time Range

2009-2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 19:00:37.898402; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Australia