Torres Strait Dugong Relative Density Model from 24 Years of Aerial Surveys

24 years (1987-2011) of systematic aerial surveys were aggregated to model the distribution and relative density of dugongs in the Torres Strait region. The spatial model is a 134x118 pixel raster with 2km resolution, classifying areas into low, medium, high, and very high relative density. The dataset was created by the Australian Ocean Data Network and uses universal kriging interpolation on corrected survey data.

Use Cases

• Identify high-priority conservation zones based on modelled relative dugong density.
• Analyze long-term spatial patterns in marine mammal distribution from aggregated survey data.
• Plan future aerial survey efforts by referencing historical density classifications.
• Model habitat suitability by correlating the relative density raster with environmental variables.

Strengths

• Aggregates data from 24 years of systematic aerial surveys (1987-2011).
• Spatial model has defined resolution (2km x 2km pixels) and extent (134x118 pixels).
• Provides clear density classification thresholds (e.g., high density: 0.25 - 0.5 dugongs per sq km).
• Data correction was applied for differences in sampling intensity between survey years.

Limitations

• Shows relative, not absolute, density as perception and availability bias corrections were not applied at this spatial scale.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last updated 2026-07-10 17:47:30.146094; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Aerial surveys using the strip transect method, with data corrected and interpolated using universal kriging.

Time Range

1987-2011

Freshness

2026-07-10

Geography

Torres Strait region