SOL5650 Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve species identification of sponges (sled)  

Authors / CoAuthors

Przeslawski, R. | Alvarez de Glasby, B.

Abstract

This resource contains species identifications of sponges from the Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR) in the Timor Sea collected by Geoscience Australia during September and October 2012 on RV Solander (survey GA0339/SOL5650). Sponges were collected using an epibenthic sled towed for approximately 50 m at 21 stations across three survey areas. From these, a total of 339 specimens were retained for taxonomic identification and lodged at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) immediately after demobilisation. Species-level identifications were undertaken by Dr Belinda Alvarez de Glasby at the MAGNT. The Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve survey was undertaken as an activity within the Australian Government's National Environmental Research Program Marine Biodiversity Hub and was the key component of Research Theme 4 - Regional Biodiversity Discovery to Support Marine Bioregional Plans. Hub partners involved in the survey included the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Geoscience Australia, the University of Western Australia, Museum Victoria and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Data acquired during the survey included: multibeam sonar bathymetry and acoustic backscatter; sub-bottom acoustic profiles; physical samples of seabed sediments, infauna and epibenthic biota; towed underwater video and still camera observations of seabed habitats; baited video observations of demersal and pelagic fish, and; oceanographic measurements of the water column from CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) casts and from deployment of sea surface drifters. Further information on the survey is available in the post-survey report published as Geoscience Australia Record 2013/38 (Nichol et al. 2013).

Product Type

dataset

eCat Id

78684

Contact for the resource

Keywords

• Marine Data

( Theme )

• marine

( Theme )

• NERP

• AU-WA

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

• Earth Sciences

• Published_Internal

Publication Date

2013-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

Legal Constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

Access - license

Use - license

Status

Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Lineage

Sponge samples were identifed to species, genus or family level on the basis of morphology. All identifications were made by Dr Belinda Avarez de Glasby (Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory) and were delivered to Geoscience Australia on the 1 October 2013. Data is presented exactly as delivered by the taxonomist, and Geoscience Australia is unable to verify the accuracy of the taxonomic identifications.

Parent Information

Extents

[-12.23, -11.3, 126.9, 127.46]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

Service Information

Associations

Downloads and Links

Source Information

Sponges were identified from spicules and hand sections. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) are used where a species, genus, or family name was not able to be assigned. Question marks indicate uncertainty with identification. Abundance of sponges is not available due to the colonial nature of sponges and inability to differentiate individuals due to breakage during collection. Data are therefore presented as presence (1) or absence (0) only.