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

Four marine surveys conducted between 2009 and 2012 on the RV Solander collected polychaete specimens from northern Australian sediments. Taxonomists Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson identified each animal to species or operational taxonomic unit, with all specimens lodged at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. This dataset is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia and supported by the National Environmental Science Program.

Use Cases

• Analyzing species composition and diversity based on taxonomic identifications from four distinct survey periods.
• Studying benthic community ecology based on specimens collected via Smith McIntyre grab or boxcore.
• Validating or comparing operational taxonomic units (OTUs) against established species names for polychaetes.
• Mapping the distribution of polychaete species in northern Australian waters referenced in the survey reports.

Strengths

• Taxonomic identifications were performed by named experts, Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson.
• Data covers four distinct survey voyages (SOL4934, SOL5117, SOL5463, SOL5650) from 2009 to 2012.
• Specimens are physically archived at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, providing a verifiable reference.
• Detailed post-survey reports (GA Records) are referenced for methodological context.

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 analyses.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the four specific survey voyages.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, 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 specimens identified taxonomically.

Time Range

Surveys conducted from 27 August 2009 to 6 October 2012.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 09:28:14.531975; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Australia, based on surveys from the RV Solander.