Bass Strait Benthic Sediment and Fauna Survey Data, 1979-1983

Biological and sediment data from an extensive survey of Bass Strait fauna conducted by Museum Victoria between 1979 and 1983. The dataset includes biological material from a range of taxonomic groups, sediment samples, swath mapping, and underwater video footage, indicating a particularly diverse fauna with high small-scale variation. Analysis suggests longitude and depth are important factors, but overall correlation of faunal composition with physical factors is poor.

Use Cases

• Modeling benthic habitat based on sediment facies and biological community data mentioned in the description.
• Analyzing biodiversity patterns and small-scale spatial variation in marine fauna.
• Investigating the relationship between physical variables (longitude, depth) and biological diversity.
• Comparing historical sediment composition with more recent data to assess environmental changes.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a multi-year period from 1979 to 1983.
• Includes multiple data types: biological samples, sediment analysis, swath mapping, and underwater video.
• Analysis references established regional classifications like the Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description notes limitations of the statistical analyses used and a poor correlation between biota and sediments at the study scale.

Provenance

Source

Museum Victoria, Geoscience Australia, Australian Hydrographic Office.

Collection Method

Field survey, biological sampling, sediment sampling, swath mapping, and video collection.

Time Range

1979 to 1983

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-04 23:33:19.803142; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bass Strait, Australia