<p>This dataset contains identifications of polychaetes collected during surveys on the RV Solander in northern Australia: SOL4934 (27 August-24 September, 2009) , SOL5117 (30 July-27 August, 2010), SOL5463 (3-31 May 2012), and SOL5650 (12 September-6 October 2012). Sediment was collected with a Smith McIntyre grab or boxcore and elutriated over a 500um sieve. Elutriated material was then sorted back at Geoscience Australia, and all polychaetes were removed and sent to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT). Chris Glasby and Charlotte Watson taxonomically identified each animal to the lowest possible level, differentiating species using established names and operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Specimens are lodged at the MAGNT. See relevant post-survey reports (GA Records 2010/09, 2011/08, 2012/66 and 2013/38) for further details on survey methods and specimen acquisition. This dataset is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia. <p>This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

<p>Flythrough movie of Bremer Commonwealth Marine Reserve, southwest Western Australia showing bathymetry of Bremer Canyon, Hood Canyon, Henry Canyon and Knob canyon. <p>This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

<p>Flythrough movie of Gifford Marine Park, which is located 700 km east of Brisbane, Australia. The park is situated about halfway along the Lord Howe Rise seamount chain on the western flank of the Lord Howe Rise. Seamounts along this chain formed from Miocene volcanism via a migrating magma source (“hotspot”) after the opening of the Tasman Sea. Two large, flat-topped volcanic seamounts dominate the park. Their gently sloping summits have accumulated veneers of sediment, which in places have formed fields of bedforms. Steep cliffs, debris and large mass movement scars encircle each seamount, and contrast with the lower gradient abyssal plains from which they rise. Spanning over 3 km of ocean depths, the seamounts are likely to serve multiple and important roles as breeding locations, resting areas, navigational landmarks or supplementary feeding grounds for some cetaceans (e.g. humpback whales, sperm whales). They may also act as important aggregation points for other highly migratory pelagic species. The bathymetry shown here was collected on two surveys - the first in 2007 by Geoscience Australia and the second in 2017 by Geoscience Australia in collaboration with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. The Gifford Marine Park has also been the focus of a study undertaken by the Marine Biodiversity Hub as part of the National Environmental Science Program. <p>This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

<p>The dataset measures the long-term seasonal means of the sea surface temperature (SST) of ocean surface waters. They are derived from MODIS (aqua) images using NASA's SeaDAS image processing software. The monthly SST images between July 2002 and December 2017 are used to calculate the means of the four austral seasons: winter (June, July, and August), spring (September, October and November), summer (December, January and February) and autumn (March, April and May). The extent of the dataset covers the entire Australian EEZ and surrounding waters (including the southern ocean). The unit of the dataset is Celsius degree. <p>This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

<p>This dataset measures the overall warming rates of the sea surface temperature (SST) in 58 Australian Marine Parks (except the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Park) over the past 15 years (2003 to 2017). They are derived from the monthly MODIS (aqua) SST images. The fields of "slope_y" and "slope_m" represent the annual and monthly SST warming rates, respectively. The units of the warming rates are Celsius degree/per annual and Celsius degree/per month. <p>This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

<p>This dataset measures the mean decadal warming rates of the sea surface temperature (SST) in 58 Australian Marine Parks (with the exception of the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Park) over the past 25 years (1992 to 2016). They are derived from the Sea Surface Temperature Atlas of the Australian Regional Seas (SSTAARS). The field of “trend_d” represents the linear SST trend for March 1992 to December 2016. The unit of the warming rates is Celsius degree/per decade. <p>This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

<p>The dataset indicates the seasonal primary productivity hotspots of ocean surface waters. They are derived from MODIS (aqua) images using NASA's SeaDAS image processing software. The monthly chlorophyll a images between July 2002 and August 2014 are used to identify the primary productivity hotspots of the four austral seasons: winter (June, July, and August), spring (September, October and November), summer (December, January and February) and autumn (March, April and May). The extent of the dataset covers the entire Australian EEZ and surrounding waters (including the southern ocean). The value (between 0 and 1.0) of the dataset represents the likelihood of the location being a primary productivity hotspot. <p>This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

<p>The dataset measures the long-term seasonal means of the chlorophyll a concentrations of ocean surface waters. They are derived from MODIS (aqua) images using NASA's SeaDAS image processing software. The monthly chlorophyll a images between July 2002 and December 2017 are used to calculate the means of the four austral seasons: winter (June, July, and August), spring (September, October and November), summer (December, January and February) and autumn (March, April and May). The extent of the dataset covers the entire Australian EEZ and surrounding waters (including the southern ocean). The unit of the dataset is mg/m3. <p>This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

<p>This dataset provides the spatially continuous data of seabed gravel (sediment fraction >2000 µm), mud (sediment fraction < 63 µm) and sand content (sediment fraction 63-2000 µm) expressed as a weight percentage ranging from 0 to 100%, presented in 10 m resolution raster grids format and ascii text file.</p> <p>The dataset covers the eight areas in the Timor Sea region in the Australian continental EEZ.</p> <p>This dataset supersedes previous predictions of sediment gravel, mud and sand content for the basin with demonstrated improvements in accuracy. Accuracy of predictions varies with sediment types, with a VEcv = 71% for mud, VEcv = 72% sand and VEcv = 42% for gravel. Artefacts occur in this dataset as a result of noises associated predictive variables (e.g., horizontal and vertical lines resulted from predictive variables derived from backscatter data are the most apparent ones). To obtain the most accurate interpretation of sediment distribution in these areas, it is recommended that noises with backscatter data should be reduced and predictions updated.</p> <p>This research is supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub through Project D1.

In 2017, the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub committed to developing field manuals for selected marine sampling platforms to ensure that data collected at different times and places across Australia are directly comparable. Ultimately, 136 individuals from 53 organisations contributed to the Field Manuals for Marine Sampling in Australian Waters released in 2018 (Version 1) and 2020 (Version 2). These field manuals are underpinned by a highly collaborative and iterative process, involving extensive community consultation and review and can thus be considered best practices. In this report, we aim to compile the outcomes of these marine sampling best practices. These outcomes are then integrated into an impact assessment based on the CSIRO Impact Framework. Due to the short period in which the best practices have existed, impact cannot yet be fully assessed, but we lay the foundations to facilitate such an assessment in the future. Overall, the marine sampling best practices are spreading nationally and internationally, as evidenced by uptake and adoption, including by industry (e.g. Woodside) and developing countries (e.g. St Lucia). Australia and the Unites States represent countries with the most downloads, and highest uptake seems to be for the survey design, benthic BRUV, pelagic BRUV, and multibeam manuals. In addition, the best practices have received community endorsement, with recommendations from key national and international organisations (e.g. Parks Australia, Global Ocean Observing System (for the BRUV manual), National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority). We anticipate several social, economic, and environmental impacts of the best practices to be measurable in 5-10 years after the release of the best practices (i.e. after 2025). For any single survey, the impact of these best practices may be small, but there is much stronger impact when considering a national perspective, as combined multiple datasets from multiple surveys allow us to see the bigger spatial and temporal picture. In this case, standardised datasets can be combined without the fear of confounding between method-of-observation and ecological signal. Thus, a series of compatible surveys are needed before they can be usefully combined, and the true impact of these best practices will not be felt for years, or maybe even decades. Ultimately, the measures of outcome and impact described in this report will help strengthen the links between marine observing communities and policymaking communities by ensuring that timely and fit-for-purpose information is generated for evidence-based decisions. <b>Citation:</b> Przeslawski R, Foster S, Gibbons B, Langlois T, Monk J (2021). Impact and Outcomes of Marine Sampling Best Practices. Report to the National Environmental Science Program, Marine Biodiversity Hub. Geoscience Australia.