CReefs Australia - Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef

The CReefs Australia project is a collection of a variety of taxa from three locations: Ningaloo Reefs in Western Australia, and Heron and Lizard Islands off the coast of Queensland (separate metadata records are kept for each location) between 2008 and 2010. Sampling was conducted by scuba, snorkel and beach collection.In 2008, Heron Island collections were carried out between 25 August and 14 September.In 2009, Heron Island collections were carried out during 10-30 November.Variables in the dataset are: longitude and latitude, date, identifications (to genus species where possible), depth, coral reef zone, and other habitat indicators.Species collected come from the following taxonomic groups:Algae and seagrasses (phyla Chlorophyta, Ochrophyta, Rhodophyta, Magnoliophyta and Cyanobacteria)Arthropoda - Amphipods (Order: Amphipoda), Isopods (Order: Isopoda), Tanaids (Order Tanaidacea), CrustaceaBryozoans (Order Cheilostomata)Echinoderms (Phylum: Echinodermata)MolluscaPlatyhelminthaPolychates (Phylum: Annelida)SipunculaCollection was mainly by hand; some samples were obtained by traps, grabs, sediment pumps, hook and line, speargun. To conduct a taxonomic survey of Ningaloo Reef as part of the CReefs Australia project to better refine understanding of the marine biodiversity on the coral reefs of the east and west coasts of Australia. A subset of the data has been provided to the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS, http://iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=maps_and_metadata/1467.html).Identifications were made as follows:Annelidia, Order: Polycheata (Gavin Martin Dally)Algae and seagrasses, phyla Chlorophyta, Magnoliophyta, Ochrophyta, Rhodophyta (Fred Gurgel, Rainbo Rita Mae Dixon)Bryozoa, Order Cheilostomata (Phil Bock)Cnideria, Order Anthozoa (Merrick Ekins, Monika Schlacher, Patricia Hendriks)Echinodermata (Ashley Miskelly)

CReefs Australia项目于2008年至2010年间收集了来自三个地点的多种分类群（taxa）数据：西澳大利亚的宁加洛礁（Ningaloo Reefs）、昆士兰州海岸外的赫伦岛（Heron Island）和蜥蜴岛（Lizard Island）（每个地点均保留独立的元数据记录）。采样通过水肺潜水、浮潜和海滩采集进行。2008年，赫伦岛的采集工作于8月25日至9月14日开展；2009年，赫伦岛的采集工作于11月10日至30日进行。

数据集包含的变量有：经度与纬度、日期、分类鉴定结果（尽可能到属种水平）、深度、珊瑚礁区及其他生境指标。

采集的物种涵盖以下分类群：藻类和海草类（包括绿藻门（Chlorophyta）、褐藻门（Ochrophyta）、红藻门（Rhodophyta）、木兰植物门（Magnoliophyta）及蓝细菌门（Cyanobacteria））；节肢动物门——端足类（目：端足目（Amphipoda））、等足类（目：等足目（Isopoda））、异足类（目：异足目（Tanaidacea））、甲壳类；苔藓动物门（目：唇口目（Cheilostomata））；棘皮动物门（Echinodermata）；软体动物门；扁形动物门；多毛类（环节动物门（Annelida））；星虫动物门。

采集方式以手工为主，部分样本通过陷阱、抓斗、沉积物泵、钓线及鱼枪获取。

作为CReefs Australia项目的一部分，本研究对宁加洛礁开展分类学调查，旨在进一步完善对澳大利亚东西海岸珊瑚礁海洋生物多样性的认知。

数据集的一个子集已提交至海洋生物地理信息系统（Ocean Biogeographic Information System，OBIS，网址：http://iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=maps_and_metadata/1467.html）。

分类鉴定工作由以下人员完成：环节动物门（Annelidia）多毛目（Polycheata）：Gavin Martin Dally；藻类和海草类（绿藻门、木兰植物门、褐藻门、红藻门）：Fred Gurgel、Rainbo Rita Mae Dixon；苔藓动物门唇口目（Bryozoa, Order Cheilostomata）：Phil Bock；刺胞动物门（Cnideria）珊瑚虫目（Anthozoa）：Merrick Ekins、Monika Schlacher、Patricia Hendriks；棘皮动物门：Ashley Miskelly。