Macquarie Conservation Palaeo Database

The aim of this study is to look at the current state of the marine community and compare that to the state of the marine community over the last six thousand years.
Macrobenthic samples (Primarily Molluscan) samples are collected via airlift into bag with ~1mm mesh. These are then sorted, classified (recording characteristics), photographed, and dated (using both AAR and Carbon 14).
The collection includes physical specimens (approximately 22,000 specimens that have been sorted and classified), measurements, 7000 photographs, classifications and annotations. Approximately 6 cubic metres of material has been partially sorted.
Collection of data for this study began in 2004 and data collection is ongoing.
Samples have been collected from the East Coast of Australia (Central Barrier Reef, One Tree Island/Reef, Sydney Harbour, Pittwater, Jervis Bay) and range in date from Holoscene to Recent (< 6000 BP).