Western Torres Strait Seagrass Survey with Biomass and Species Data, 2020

Torres Strait's Western Cluster was surveyed in December 2020, resulting in data from 542 sites. The dataset, produced by TropWATER and James Cook University, includes seagrass presence, species composition, algae cover, and benthic macro-invertebrate cover. It provides essential baseline information for dugong and turtle management plans in this ecologically important region.

Use Cases

• Mapping seagrass meadow distribution and biomass based on GIS shapefiles and site surveys.
• Analyzing species composition and biodiversity of subtidal seagrass communities.
• Modeling habitat suitability for dugong and turtle based on seagrass and benthic cover metrics.
• Calibrating remote sensing data with ground-truthed seagrass biomass estimates from visual ranking techniques.

Strengths

• Data from 542 surveyed sites provides a substantial spatial sample.
• Includes multiple data layers: site details, meadow communities, and biomass interpolation.
• Methodology for biomass estimation is described, involving observer calibration with linear regression.
• Explicitly supports management plans for protected species like dugong and turtle.

Limitations

• Row count for the underlying data tables is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single survey in December 2020.

Provenance

Source

TropWATER Seagrass Group, James Cook University, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Helicopter and boat-based surveys using visual estimates, GPS recording, and the 'visual estimates of biomass' technique with observer calibration.

Time Range

Survey conducted in December 2020.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 17:55:59.385800; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Western Cluster of Torres Strait.