Much of the deep sea comprises soft-sediment habitats dominated by low abundances of small infauna, and traditional methods of biological sampling may therefore fail to sufficiently quantify biodiversity. During feeding and burrowing, many deep sea animals bioturbate the sediment, leaving signs of their activities called lebensspuren ('life traces'). In this study, we use three criteria to assess whether the quantification of lebensspuren from high resolution still images is an appropriate technique to broadly quantify biological activity in the deep sea: 1) The ability to differentiate biological assemblages between geographic regions; 2) the ability to reveal known biological patterns across environmental gradients; and 3) correlation with other methods of biological characterisation often used in the deep sea (e.g. video). Lebensspuren were quantified using a univariate measure of track richness and a multivariate measure of lebensspuren assemblages from the eastern (1712 images, 13 stations) and western (949 images, 11 stations) Australian margins. A total of 46 lebensspuren types were identified, including those matching named trace fossils. Assemblages were significantly different between the two regions, with five lebensspuren types accounting for over 95% of the differentiation (ovoid pinnate trace, crater row, spider feature, matchstick feature, mesh feature). Track richness in the combined margins dataset was correlated to depth, chlorin index (i.e. organic freshness), and possibly mud, although the strength of the relationships varied according to the dataset used. There was no relationship to total organic carbon. Lebensspuren richness from still images was significantly related to lebensspuren from video but not to occurrence of epifauna. Based on these results, the quantification of lebensspuren from still images seems an appropriate measure to broadly characterise biological activity in deep sea soft sediment ecosystems.

Learn about studying fossils (palaeontology) in this behind-the-scenes visit to the Commonwealth Palaeontological Collection. The formation of fossils is explained and different types of fossils are shown. The collection contains thousands of specimens including microscopic organisms called Foraminifera. Viewers learn that there are many scientific uses of fossils and this collection is a resource that scientists continue to study today.

This CD-ROM consists of 15 images and explanatory text detailing the nature of dinosaur fossils from Southern Australia as determined by scientists working along Australia's southeast coast. Find out about the dinosaurs that lived at polar latitudes between 120 to 110 million years ago and the fascinating methods they developed to cope with the climate of that region. The images include actual fossils discovered and reconstructions of dinosaurs and the plants and animals with which these dinosaurs were associated. Suitable for primary Years 5-6 an secondary Years 7-12.

This black and white 64 page education resource examines the dynamic nature of Earth's climate (past and present) and its many influencing factors. Includes student activities. Suitable for secondary Years 7-12.

The warm greenhouse world of the Late Cretaceous created an ocean that was poorly stratified latitudinally and vertically. Periodically these oceans experienced globally significant events where oxygen minimum zones enveloped the continental margins. Evidence of the effect of one of these Ocean Anoxic Events (OAE?s) is preserved in the southern high latitude strata of the Otway Basin in southeast Australia. During the Late Cretaceous, thick sequences of mudstone-dominated deltaic sediments (the Otway Delta) were deposited in an elongate inlet (ca. 500km wide) between Antarctica and Australia located at least 70?S. The initial Turonian strata of this delta (the Waarre Formation) were deposited in marginal marine delta plain to delta front conditions. The overlying Flaxman Formation and basal Belfast Mudstone preserve evidence of transgressive inner to middle shelf upper delta to prodelta conditions. These Turonian units were subject to periodic dysoxia. The conditions that created this dysoxia in the region were similar to those of the high northern latitude Cretaceous Interior Seaway of North America where intermittent freshwater input and deepening seas caused periods of thermohaline stratification and reduced bottom waters. The overlying Coniacian to Santonian Belfast Mudstone was deposited in outer shelf to upper slope prodelta conditions subject to periodic fluctuations in dysoxia with normal marine salinities. After a period when the oxygen minimum zone contracted, upward-increasing dysoxia in the Belfast Mudstone herald the onset of the Coniacian to Santonian OAE 3. This was the last OAE of the Late Cretaceous, prior to the onset of more ?modern? oceanic conditions. The fluctuations in TOC and hydrogen index in these strata reflect variable dysoxic conditions similar to that reported for OAE 3 in the tropical eastern Atlantic by Hofmann et al. (2003). This periodicity implies a very active and dynamic Late Cretaceous hydrosphere. Eventually, hyposaline conditions or higher sedimentation rates due to upper delta progradation and shallowing in the Santonian caused the local extinction and dissolution of many of the calcareous benthic taxa of the Belfast Mudstone.

The marine and terrestrial palynology of the Middle Jurassic Wanaea verrucosa Zone from the Perseus-3A, Sunrise-2 and Sunset West-1 wells of the North West Shelf of Australia was studied in detail. These three wells represent brackish and shallow marine successions from the Northern Carnarvon and Bonaparte basins respectively. The palynological data derived from these three wells constitute the basis for the formal definition of this important dinoflagellate cyst biozone and its three constituent subzones. The base of the Lower Wanaea verrucosa Subzone is defined by the inception of the index species and is a relatively sparse, low diversity microphytoplankton assemblage; species richness increases up-section. The base of the succeeding Middle Wanaea verrucosa Subzone is defined by the range base of Valvaeodinium spinosum, and the Upper Wanaea verrucosa Subzone is defined by the incoming of the large and distinctive species Endoscrinium kempiae. Other stratigraphically-important datums include the inceptions of ?Bradleyella adela in the lower subzone, Leptodinium spp. and Wanaea lacuna in the middle subzone, and Endoscrinium spp. and Ternia balmei within the upper subzone. Important range tops include Mancodinium semitabulatum and Phallocysta granosa in the middle subzone, and Nannoceratopsis deflandrei in the upper subzone. These and other datums are compared with European ranges to assign a Late Bajocian to Early Bathonian age to the Wanaea verrucosa Zone.

This entails publishing a formal analysis which, under the International Codes of Zoological and Botanical Nomenclature, must be accompanied by illustrations of specimens. These illustrated specimens can then become the 'ype specimens'. The type specimen acts as a reference upon which the understanding of each species relies. So, if any subsequent research worker wants to compare their material with, or to assign their material to a known species, the concept of that species is dependent on the type specimens and the research worker must refer to those type specimens.

This set consists of 15 slides and explanatory text detailing the nature of dinosaur fossils from Southern Australia, as determined by scientists working along Australia's southeast coast. Find out about the dinosaurs that lived at polar latitudes between 120 to 110 million years ago and the fascinating methods they developed to cope with the climate of that region. The images include actual fossils discovered and reconstructions of dinosaurs and the plants and animals with which these dinosaurs were associated. Also available on CD-ROM (catalogue item 39797) Suitable for primary Years 5-6 and secondary Years 7-12.

The 3D Models Bulk Set includes a class set of each of the following 3D paper models; - Nautiloid - Trilobite - Pterosaur - Triceratops - Volcano - Plate Tectonics Globe - Landslide - Slump

2004 updated version of Helby, Morgan & Partridge (1987)