Redmap WA: Verified and Anecdotal Sightings of Bony Fish Species

Redmap is a community science website inviting the public to log uncommon marine species sightings along the Western Australian coast. The dataset includes verified sightings with photos and anecdotal community reports, collecting species, location, date/time, activity, and optional biological and environmental data. This live record is maintained by the Australian Ocean Data Network and is subject to a three-year embargo on recent data.

Use Cases

• Modeling potential species distribution shifts based on location and date/time data.
• Analyzing community-reported environmental data such as water temperature and depth.
• Comparing verified versus anecdotal sighting patterns for data quality assessment.
• Mapping regional biodiversity changes over time using geospatial location information.

Strengths

• Includes both verified (photo-supported) and community-sourced (anecdotal) data streams.
• Collects optional biological data such as sex, size, and weight for individual sightings.
• 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 the most recent data.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Community-submitted sightings via the Redmap website, with verification by marine biologists for photo-supported reports.

Time Range

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 17:04:39.934425; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Western Australia, focusing on marine species along the coast.