Redmap Queensland: Community Sightings of Sharks and Rays

Queensland's Redmap project collects community sightings of uncommon marine species, including sharks and rays, to map potential distribution changes. The Australian Ocean Data Network manages this live dataset, which includes verified and anecdotal reports with species, location, date, and optional biological and environmental data. The record is embargoed and does not contain data less than three years old.

Use Cases

• Modeling species distribution changes based on community-reported sightings over time.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of uncommon marine species based on mapped location data.
• Studying the relationship between species sightings and environmental factors like water temperature and depth.
• Comparing verified photo sightings with anecdotal community reports for data quality assessment.

Strengths

• Includes both verified (with photo) and community (anecdotal) sighting categories.
• Collects optional biological data (sex, size, weight) and environmental data (water depth, temperature, habitat).
• Managed by the authoritative Australian Ocean Data Network.

Limitations

• Spatial elements have reduced accuracy according to the description.
• Subject to a three-year embargo, excluding recent data.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Community-sourced sightings via the Redmap website, with verification by marine biologists for photo submissions.

Time Range

Historical data with a three-year embargo on recent records.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 13:30:50.040388; freshness should be verified due to the embargo.

Geography

Queensland, Australia, and surrounding coastal marine regions.