Mollusc Species from Western Australian Atolls, 2006 Survey

Parks Australia provides a record of 339 macromolluscan species from the north-western Australian atolls of Mermaid, Scott, and Seringapatam Reefs. The data results from a WA Museum survey in September 2006, including presence/absence inventories and quantitative density records from transects. The records are compared with earlier surveys from the 1980s to note population changes.

Use Cases

• Analyzing species composition and biodiversity based on the inventory of 339 macromolluscan species.
• Studying population changes over time based on comparisons with survey data from the 1980s.
• Investigating the impact of habitat change and fishing pressure based on noted declines in giant clam and trochus populations.
• Documenting species distribution records, including new Australian and Western Australian records mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Contains records for 339 distinct macromolluscan species, including 261 gastropods, 70 bivalves, six cephalopods, and two chitons.
• Includes both qualitative presence/absence data and quantitative density records from replicated transects.
• Enables temporal analysis by comparing 2006 survey results with earlier WA Museum surveys from 1982 and 1984.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified; the last metadata update is 2026-07-16.

Provenance

Source

WA Museum, provided by Parks Australia.

Collection Method

Survey involving qualitative inventory and quantitative density records along replicated transects at outer slope and lagoonal stations.

Time Range

Primary survey in September 2006, with comparisons to data from 1982 and 1984.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-16 22:57:53.916502; freshness should be verified

Geography

Mermaid Reef (Rowley Shoals), Scott Reef, and Seringapatam Reefs, Western Australia.