Polychaete Species Identifications from Northern Australian Surveys, 2009-2012

Northern Australian marine surveys from 2009 to 2012 collected polychaete worms. The dataset contains taxonomic identifications performed by experts Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson, using established names and operational taxonomic units. Specimens are lodged at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

Use Cases

• Analyze species composition and diversity based on taxonomic identifications from specific survey voyages.
• Study temporal changes in polychaete communities based on data collected across four distinct survey periods.
• Map species distributions in northern Australia based on the described geographic scope of the surveys.
• Validate or compare taxonomic classification methods based on the use of both established names and operational taxonomic units (OTUs).

Strengths

• Expert taxonomic identifications performed by named specialists Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson.
• Data covers four distinct survey voyages (SOL4934, SOL5117, SOL5463, SOL5650) over a multi-year period.
• Specimens are physically archived at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT), providing a verifiable collection.
• Detailed survey methods are documented in referenced Geoscience Australia reports (GA Records 2010/09, 2011/08, 2012/66, 2013/38).

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 voyages in northern Australia.

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 polychaetes identified taxonomically.

Time Range

2009-2012 (surveys SOL4934, SOL5117, SOL5463, SOL5650).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 18:30:12.850866; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Australia.