Towed Video Surveys of Seabed Habitats in the Timor Sea, 2012

Timor Sea seabed habitats were surveyed via 52 towed video transects at depths between 31 and 129 meters. The survey was conducted from September 12 to October 6, 2012, by a collaboration including the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Geoscience Australia. Sampling involved real-time habitat classification and photographic stills taken at 5-second intervals.

Use Cases

• Classifying seabed habitats based on real-time observations and imagery mentioned in the description
• Analyzing biodiversity hotspots such as pinnacles, banks, and shoals from the video transects
• Studying the relationship between depth (31-129m) and habitat type in shelf environments
• Developing models for marine reserve planning using data from targeted shallow seabed environments

Strengths

• 52 towed video transects provide a substantial observational record
• Data collection includes both real-time habitat classification and photographic stills at 5-second intervals
• Survey concentrated on specific shelf habitats (<200m) and potential biodiversity hotspots

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 geographic/temporal bias inherent to the single survey in 2012

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Towed video surveys from the RV Solander research vessel, with real-time habitat classification and photographic stills.

Time Range

September 12 to October 6, 2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 16:57:12.639662; freshness should be verified

Geography

Western part of the proposed Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve in the Timor Sea, Western Australia