Data

Surveys of octocorals in the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve, Western Australia

Name: Surveys of octocorals in the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve, Western Australia
Published: 2026

Australian Institute of Marine Science

Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)

Viewed: [[ro.stat.viewed]] Cited: [[ro.stat.cited]] Accessed: [[ro.stat.accessed]]

ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2FANDS&rft_id=https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/0f32ffe0-3dad-11dd-ad1b-00008a07204e&rft.title=Surveys of octocorals in the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve, Western Australia&rft.identifier=https://apps.aims.gov.au/metadata/view/0f32ffe0-3dad-11dd-ad1b-00008a07204e&rft.publisher=Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)&rft.description=Octocoral biodiversity was surveyed at eighteen sites across all three Rowley Shoals (Mermaid, Clerke and Imperieuse Reefs). At each site, transects commenced at ~20m depth and ascended gradually, finishing at ~5m depth over a horizontal distance of ~300m. All octocorals encountered were identified (so far as possible in the field), most were photographed and selected samples were taken of new observations for later taxonomic analysis.The data will be maintained by AIMS, while the WA Museum will hold the taxonomic specimens. This research was undertaken as a component of a major biodiversity survey of the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve. The survey was undertaken in response to management information needs and was aimed at collecting data that could directly inform management of the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve.The octocoral data has been used to produce a basic photo ID guide to facilitate analysis of benthic monitoring video tapes from the Rowley Shoals. A subset of the data has been provided to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS, http://www.iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=meta/1460.html).Maintenance and Update Frequency: notPlannedStatement: Statement: All data were collected and taxa identified by the principal investigator.&rft.creator=Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) &rft.date=2026&rft.coverage=westlimit=118.8333; southlimit=-17.7167; eastlimit=119.05; northlimit=-17.4333&rft.coverage=westlimit=118.8333; southlimit=-17.7167; eastlimit=119.05; northlimit=-17.4333&rft.coverage=westlimit=119.2667; southlimit=-17.45; eastlimit=119.45; northlimit=-17.1833&rft.coverage=westlimit=119.2667; southlimit=-17.45; eastlimit=119.45; northlimit=-17.1833&rft.coverage=westlimit=119.5333; southlimit=-17.2167; eastlimit=119.7167; northlimit=-16.9667&rft.coverage=westlimit=119.5333; southlimit=-17.2167; eastlimit=119.7167; northlimit=-16.9667&rft_rights=All AIMS data, products and services are provided as is and AIMS does not warrant their fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. While AIMS has made every reasonable effort to ensure high quality of the data, products and services, to the extent permitted by law the data, products and services are provided without any warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of title, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. AIMS make no representation or warranty that the data, products and services are accurate, complete, reliable or current. To the extent permitted by law, AIMS exclude all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from the use of the data, products and services.&rft_rights=The data was collected under contract between AIMS and another party(s). Specific agreements for access and use of the data shall be negotiated separately. Contact the AIMS Data Centre ([email protected]) for further information&rft_rights=Resource Usage:The data is under exclusive access period. Contact the AIMS Data Centre ([email protected]) for possible access to the data within this period.Access Constraint: restrictedUse Constraint: restrictedSecurity classification code: unclassifiedMetadata Usage:Security classification code: unclassified&rft_subject=oceans&rft.type=dataset&rft.language=English Access the data

Access data via landing page
https://apps.aims.gov....

Cite Saved to MyRDA Save to MyRDA

Licence & Rights:

view details

All AIMS data, products and services are provided "as is" and AIMS does not warrant their fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. While AIMS has made every reasonable effort to ensure high quality of the data, products and services, to the extent permitted by law the data, products and services are provided without any warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of title, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. AIMS make no representation or warranty that the data, products and services are accurate, complete, reliable or current. To the extent permitted by law, AIMS exclude all liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from the use of the data, products and services.

The data was collected under contract between AIMS and another party(s). Specific agreements for access and use of the data shall be negotiated separately. Contact the AIMS Data Centre ([email protected]) for further information

Resource Usage:The data is under exclusive access period. Contact the AIMS Data Centre ([email protected]) for possible access to the data within this period.Access Constraint: restrictedUse Constraint: restrictedSecurity classification code: unclassifiedMetadata Usage:Security classification code: unclassified

Access:

Open

Full description

Octocoral biodiversity was surveyed at eighteen sites across all three Rowley Shoals (Mermaid, Clerke and Imperieuse Reefs). At each site, transects commenced at ~20m depth and ascended gradually, finishing at ~5m depth over a horizontal distance of ~300m. All octocorals encountered were identified (so far as possible in the field), most were photographed and selected samples were taken of new observations for later taxonomic analysis.The data will be maintained by AIMS, while the WA Museum will hold the taxonomic specimens.
This research was undertaken as a component of a major biodiversity survey of the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve. The survey was undertaken in response to management information needs and was aimed at collecting data that could directly inform management of the Rowley Shoals Marine Park and the Mermaid Reef National Marine Nature Reserve.The octocoral data has been used to produce a basic photo ID guide to facilitate analysis of benthic monitoring video tapes from the Rowley Shoals.
A subset of the data has been provided to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS, http://www.iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=meta/1460.html).

Lineage

Maintenance and Update Frequency: notPlanned

Statement: Statement: All data were collected and taxa identified by the principal investigator.

Notes

Credit
Fabricius, Katharina E, Dr (Principal Investigator)

Modified: 25 09 2026

This dataset is part of a larger collection

Click to explore relationships graph

text: westlimit=118.8333; southlimit=-17.7167; eastlimit=119.05; northlimit=-17.4333

text: westlimit=119.2667; southlimit=-17.45; eastlimit=119.45; northlimit=-17.1833

text: westlimit=119.5333; southlimit=-17.2167; eastlimit=119.7167; northlimit=-16.9667

Subjects

oceans |

User Contributed Tags

Other Information

A brief photo guide to the shallow-water octocorals of the Rowley Shoals, Western Australia: Fabricius KE (2008) A brief photo guide to the shallow-water octocorals of the Rowley Shoals, Western Australia. 40 p.

local : articleId=7752

Comparative marine biodiversity survey of the Rowley Shoals, 1-17 Dec 2007: metadata report: Long S, Armstrong S, Fabricius KE, Field IC, Cook K, Colquhoun J and Huisman J (2008) Comparative marine biodiversity survey of the Rowley Shoals, 1-17 Dec 2007: metadata report. Government of Western Australia. Dept. of Environment and Conservation and Australian Institute of Marine Science. 14 p.

local : articleId=7798

OBIS dataset

url : http://www.iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=maps_and_metadata/1460.html External Link

Identifiers

global : 0f32ffe0-3dad-11dd-ad1b-00008a07204e