Princess Royal Harbour Seagrass Survey Extent and Cover

263 observation points in Princess Royal Harbour document seagrass species distribution, percentage cover classes, meadow type, and macroalgae cover from surveys in January and March 2021. The dataset, created by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, includes point and polygon layers showing presence/absence and cover percentages.

Use Cases

• Map seagrass species distribution (Posidonia australis, Halophila sp., etc.) across 263 observation points to model habitat extent.
• Analyze seagrass percentage cover classes (0, <15%, 15-45%, etc.) against meadow type (continuous or patchy) to assess meadow health.
• Correlate macroalgae cover categories with epiphytic cover ratings (none to very high) to study competitive interactions.
• Use the polygon layers showing presence/absence and cover percentages for spatial analysis of seagrass bed boundaries.

Strengths

• 263 spatially referenced observation points provide a detailed field survey.
• Records six distinct seagrass species and five standardized percentage cover classes.
• Includes ancillary environmental data like secchi depth and photosynthetically active radiation at approximately one-third of sites.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to a single estuary surveyed over two months, restricting broader ecological inference.
• Environmental parameters (water profiles, secchi depth) are not available for all 263 observation points.
• Data is static from early 2021, lacking temporal continuity or updates.

Provenance

Source

Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Geospatial and Data Services Manager.

Collection Method

Field surveys conducted from boat and kayak across Princess Royal Harbour.

Time Range

January and March 2021.

Freshness

Survey data from 2021; metadata last updated March 2026.

Geography

Princess Royal Harbour estuary.