From Australian Oceans Data Network
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Condition of rocky reef communities around Tasmania: algal surveys

Created 23/06/2025

Updated 23/06/2025

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The data is the percent algal cover derived from underwater visual census methods involving transect counts at rocky reef sites around Tasmania. This data forms part of a larger dataset that also surveyed fish and megafaunal invertebrate abundance for the area. The aggregated dataset allows examination of changes in Tasmanian shallow reef floral and faunal communities over a decadal scale - initial surveys were conducted in 1992-1995, and again at the same sites in 2006-2007. There are plans for ongoing surveys. An additional component was added in the latter study - a boat ramp study looking at the proximity of boat ramps and their effects of fishing. We analysed underwater visual census data on fishes and macroinvertebrates (abalone and rock lobsters) at 133 shallow rocky reef sites around Tasmania that ranged from 0.6 - 131 km from the nearest boat ramp. These sites were not all the same as those used for the comparison of 1994 and 2006 reef communities. The subset of 133 sites examined in this component consisted of only those sites that were characterized by the two major algal (kelp) types (laminarian or fucoid dominated). Sites with atypical algal assemblages were omitted from the 196 sites surveyed in 2006. This study aimed to examine reef community data for changes at the community level, changes in species richness and introduced species populations, and changes that may have resulted from ocean warming and fishing. The methods are described in detail in Edgar and Barrett (1997). Primarily the data are derived from transects at 5 m depth and/or 10 m depth at each site surveyed. The underwater visual census (UVC) methodology used to survey rocky reef communities was designed to maximise detection of (i) changes in population numbers and size-structure (ii) cascading ecosystem effects associated with disturbances such as fishing, (iii) long term change and variability in reef assemblages.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Condition of rocky reef communities around Tasmania: algal surveys
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/en/dataset/3600ef4d-d5d0-43d7-aafa-f100ae7331a5
Contact Point
Australian Ocean Data Network
Neville.Barrett@utas.edu.au
Reference Period 01/01/1992 - 31/01/1995
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        144.5,
        -44.0
      ],
      [
        148.5,
        -44.0
      ],
      [
        148.5,
        -39.5
      ],
      [
        144.5,
        -39.5
      ],
      [
        144.5,
        -44.0
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Australian Oceans Data Network

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Australian Oceans Data Network "Condition of rocky reef communities around Tasmania: algal surveys". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/condition-of-rocky-reef-communities-around-tasmania-algal-surveys