Tasmanian Seamounts Study 1997: Benthic Faunal Survey Data

This record describes the benthic assemblage survey data collected as part of the Tasmanian Seamounts Study undertaken by CSIRO Division of Fisheries in January 1997. 34 benthic dredge tows were made on the top, slope and base of 14 seamounts in the survey area, approx. 100 km to the south of Tasmania, using a specially constructed dredge, in water depths ranging from 600m to approx. 2000m. Numerous (>200) invertebrate taxa were recovered representing hydroids, octocorals, polychaetes, bryozoa, bivalve molluscs, cephalopods, barnacles, isopods, decapod crustaceans, crinoids, asteroids, echiuroids, holothurians, hydrozoans, brachiopods, chitons, gastropods, sponges, and other minor groups. The data have been analysed with respect to depth, fishing history (lightly or heavily fished areas), and position on the seamount, and two main community types documented, one dominated by living colonial coral (Solenosmilia variabilis) and one by echinoids (sea urchins). Many of the species found are new records for Australia and a number are new to science. The specimens of select taxa from this survey were re-examined to enable comparison of this survey to two surveys conducted in in the same area in 2006/7 (SS11/2006 & SS02/2007). Identification were upgraded and specimens compared to the new collections by museum experts and integrated into the data. To date (Sept. 2014) we are aware of 20 taxonomic revisions or descriptions that have been published using material from this collection.