Macrocystis Pyrifera Seaweed Bed Stock Assessment in Tasmania, 1950-1953

Surveys of Macrocystis pyrifera (giant kelp) beds conducted by the CSIRO Division of Fisheries between 1950 and mid-1953. The data was published in 1954 and is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network. The surveys were motivated by interest in the beds as a source of alginates.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical distribution of Macrocystis pyrifera beds based on survey locations mentioned in the description
• Assess potential alginate resource availability based on historical stock assessments
• Study changes in coastal marine ecosystems over time using this historical baseline data

Strengths

• Data collection was conducted by the authoritative CSIRO Division of Fisheries.
• Surveys cover a defined time period from 1950 to mid-1953.
• The dataset has a specific geographic focus on Tasmania's south and east coasts.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to data_gov_au, being over 70 years old.

Provenance

Source

Commonwealth Scientific and Industry Research Organization (CSIRO) Division of Fisheries

Collection Method

Field surveys conducted as part of a seaweed program.

Time Range

1950 to mid-1953

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 17:47:13.654249; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Tasmania's south and east coasts