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

Biological and sediment data from a survey of Bass Strait fauna conducted by Museum Victoria between 1979 and 1983, with supplementary data from later Geoscience Australia and Australian Hydrographic Office surveys. The results indicate a particularly diverse fauna with high small-scale variation, influenced by factors like longitude and depth. Analysis suggests the biota reflect intergrading assemblages rather than discrete species associations.

Use Cases

• Modeling benthic community composition based on longitude and depth variables mentioned in the description.
• Analyzing the relationship between sediment facies and high-energy environments described for Bass Strait.
• Comparing biological patterns against regional marine classifications like the Interim Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA).
• Studying the impact of bioerosion and physical processes on carbonate mud production as indicated in the sediment analysis.

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 footage.
• Analysis is grounded in specific, cited historical surveys (GA Survey 226, HI339, GA Survey 233).

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description notes a poor overall correlation between faunal composition and the physical factors analyzed.

Provenance

Source

Museum Victoria, Geoscience Australia, Australian Hydrographic Office

Collection Method

Field surveys involving biological material collection, sediment sampling, swath mapping, and underwater video.

Time Range

1979-1983

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 01:53:41.242340; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bass Strait, Australia