CReefs Australia - Ningaloo, Western Australia

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, Ningaloo collections commenced from the vicinity of Tantabiddi Boat Ramp during 4-25 June (austral winter).In 2009, Ningaloo collections commenced from an area 100 km south of Exmouth, Point Cloade, during 13 May to 3 June.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)Bryozoans (Order: Cheilostomata)CrustaceaCnideria (Class: Anthozoa, Hydrozoa)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 (http://iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=maps_and_metadata/1466.html).Identifications were made as follows:Algae and seagrasses, phyla Chlorophyta, Ochrophyta, Rhodophyta, Magnoliophyta and Cyanobacteria (Fred Gurgel, Rainbo Rita Mae Dixon)Arthropoda, Order Amphipoda (Lauren Elizabeth Hughes)Arthropoda, Order Isopoda (Neil Bruce)Arthropoda, Order Tanaidacea (Magdalena Blazewicz-Paskowycz)Bryozoa, Order Cheilostomata (Kevin John Tilbrook, Phil Bock)Cnideria Order Anthozoa, Hydrozoa (Merrick Ekins)Echinodermata (Ashley Miskelly)Mollusca (Clay Bryce, Corey Whisson)Platyhelmintha (Tom Cribb)Polychaeta, Phylum Annelida (Gavin Martin Daily, Chris Glasby, Maria Capa, Pat Hutchings)