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

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

Use Cases

• Analyzing species composition and richness in northern Australian sediments based on the survey collection methods.
• Studying temporal changes in polychaete communities across the 2009-2012 survey periods.
• Validating taxonomic classifications and operational taxonomic units (OTUs) for marine worms.
• Mapping biodiversity patterns for marine conservation planning based on the geographic scope.

Strengths

• Expert taxonomic identifications performed by named specialists Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson.
• Data covers four distinct survey voyages across a multi-year time range (2009-2012).
• Specimens are physically archived at a museum (MAGNT), providing a verifiable reference collection.
• Detailed survey methods are documented in referenced Geoscience Australia reports.

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

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

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 2026-05-14 09:06:52.457006; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Australia