Repeated dive surveys from 2014 to 2022 monitor the critically endangered spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus). The dataset summarizes search effort and fish counts across 11 sites in the Derwent Estuary and D'Entrecasteaux Channel. It was collected under the NESP MB A10 and NESP MaC 1.23 projects and aggregated by the Australian Ocean Data Network.
Use Cases
- Model population trends based on repeated annual survey counts.
- Analyze habitat use based on depth records for each sighted fish.
- Assess survey effort and detection probability based on transect length and swathed area.
- Monitor conservation status changes using size measurements (total length) over time.
Strengths
- Provides a multi-year time series from 2014 to 2022, excluding 2021.
- Covers 11 distinct survey sites across two geographic regions.
- Includes detailed per-fish measurements like total length and depth.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Underwater visual census via dive surveys along GPS transects.
- Time Range
- 2014-2022 (excluding 2021)
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-08 23:08:29.783624; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Derwent Estuary and D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Australia