GAB Research Program: Project 5.2 – Asphaltite and Tarball Survey

This record describes the surveys of beaches and sample collection conducted under Project (5.2) of the Great Australian Bight Research Program (GABRP): This contains the results of the first multi-annual geospatial study of the stranding of coastal bitumen (asphaltite and tar balls) on representative ocean beaches (n = 31) along the entire coastline of South Australia. Previous investigations of this phenomenon, dating back to the mid-1800s, were episodic and limited to beaches on the Limestone Coast, southern Kangaroo Island and the foot of Eyre Peninsula. The present study revisited the same 31 beaches after winter in 2014, 2015 and 2016, collecting a total of 631 specimens, and in so doing filled a major gap in our knowledge of bitumen stranding along the western side of Eyre Peninsula to the head of the Great Australian Bight.