Polychaete Species Identifications from Four Northern Australia Marine Surveys (2009-2012)

Four marine surveys (SOL4934, SOL5117, SOL5463, SOL5650) conducted between 2009 and 2012 collected polychaete specimens from northern Australia. Sediment samples were processed and all polychaetes were taxonomically identified to species or operational taxonomic units by experts Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson. Specimens are lodged at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, and the research was supported by the National Environmental Science Program Marine Biodiversity Hub.

Use Cases

• Analyzing polychaete species composition and diversity based on survey locations and dates mentioned in the description
• Mapping species distributions in northern Australia based on the geographic scope of the surveys
• Studying temporal changes in benthic communities based on data collected across four separate survey years
• Validating taxonomic classifications and operational taxonomic units (OTUs) based on expert identifications

Strengths

• Data originates from four dedicated marine surveys conducted over a span of four years
• Specimens were identified by taxonomic experts Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson to the lowest possible level
• Detailed survey methodology is 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 for large-scale modeling

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT)

Collection Method

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

Time Range

2009-08-27 to 2012-10-06

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 20:55:09.606374; freshness should be verified

Geography

Northern Australia