Connectivity of North East Australia Seascapes – Data and Maps (NESP TWQ 3.3.3, AIMS and JCU)

This dataset shows the results of mapping the connectivity of key values (natural heritage, indigenous heritage, social and historic and economic) of the Great Barrier Reef with its neighbouring regions (Torres Strait, Coral Sea and Great Sandy Strait). The purpose of this mapping process was to identify values that need joint management across multiple regions. It contains a spreadsheet containing the connection information obtained from expert elicitation, all maps derived from this information and all GIS files needed to recreate these maps.This dataset contains the connection strength for 59 attributes of the values between 7 regions (GBR Far Northern, GBR Cairns-Cooktown, GBR Whitsunday-Townsville, GBR Mackay-Capricorn, Torres Strait, Coral Sea and Great Sandy Strait) based on expert opinion. Each connection is assessed based on its strength, mechanism and confidence. Where a connection was known to not exist between two regions then this was also explicitly recorded. A video tutorial on this dataset and its maps is available from https://vimeo.com/335053846. Methods:The information for the connectivity maps was gathered from experts (~30) during a 3-day workshop in August 2017. Experts were provided with a template containing a map of Queensland and the neighbouring seas, with an overlay of the regions of interest to assess the connectivity. These were Torres Strait, GBR:Far North Queensland, GBR:Cairns to Cooktown, GBC: Townsville to Whitsundays, GBR: Mackay to Capricorn Bunkers and Great Sandy Strait (which includes Hervey bay). A range of reference maps showing locations of the values were provided, where this information could be obtained. As well as the map the template provided 7x7 table for filling in the connectivity strength and connection type between all combinations of these regions. The experts self-organised into groups to discuss and complete the template for each attribute to be mapped. Each expert was asked to estimate the strength of connection between each region as well as the connection mechanism and their confidence in the information. Due to the limited workshop time the experts were asked to focus on initially recording the connections between the GBR and its neighbouring regions and not to worry about the internal connections in the GBR, or long-distance connections along the Queensland coast. In the second half of the workshop the experts were asked to review the maps created and expand on the connections to include those internal to the GBR. After the workshop an initial set of maps were produced and reviewed by the project team and a range of issues were identified and resolved. Additional connectivity maps for some attributes were prepared after the workshop by the subject experts within the project team.The data gathered from these templates was translated into a spreadsheet, then processing into the graphic maps using QGIS to present the connectivity information.The following are the value attributes where their connectivity was mapped:Seagrass meadows: pan-regional species (e.g. Halophila spp. and Halodule spp.)Seagrass meadows: tropical/sub-tropical (Cymodocea serrulata, Syringodium isoetifolium)Seagrass meadows: tropical (Thalassia, Cymodocea, Thalassodendron, Enhalus, Rotundata)Seagrass meadows: Zostera muelleriMangroves & saltmarshHard coralsCrustose coralline algaeMacroalgaeCrown of thorns starfish larval flowAcropora larval flowCasuarina equisetifolia & Pandanus tectoriusArgusia argentiaPisonia grandis: cay vegetationInter-reef gardens (sponges + gorgonians) (Incomplete)HalimedaUpwellingsPelagic foraging seabirdsInshore and offshore foraging seabirdsMigratory shorebirdsOrnate rock lobsterYellowfin tunaBlack marlinSpanish mackerelTiger sharkGrey nurse sharkHumpback whalesDugongsGreen turtlesHawksbill turtlesLoggerhead turtlesFlatback turtlesLongfin & Shortfin EelsRed-spot king prawnBrown tiger prawnEastern king prawnsGreat White SharkSandfish (H. scabra)Black teatfish (H. whitmaei)Location of sea countryTangible cultural resourcesLocation of place attachmentLocation of historic shipwrecksLocation of places of social significanceLocation of commercial fishing activity Location of recreational useLocation of tourism destinationsAustralian blacktip shark (C. tilstoni)BarramundiCommon black tip shark (C. limbatus)Dogtooth tunaGrey mackerelMud crabCoral trout (Plectropomus laevis)Coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus)Red throat emperorReef mantaSaucer scallop (Ylistrum balloti)Bull sharkGrey reef sharkLimitations of the data:The connectivity information in this dataset is only rough in nature, capturing the interconnections between 7 regions. The connectivity data is based on expert elicitation and so is limited by the knowledge of the experts that were available for the workshop. In most cases the experts had sufficient knowledge to create robust maps. There were however some cases where the knowledge of the participants was limited, or the available scientific knowledge on the topic was limited (particularly for the ‘inter-reefal gardens’ attribute) or the exact meaning of the value attribute was poorly understood or could not be agreed up on (particularly for the social and indigenous heritage maps). This information was noted with the maps.These connectivity maps should be considered as an initial assessment of the connections between each of the regions and should not be used as authoritative maps without consulting with additional sources of information. Each of the connectivity links between regions was recorded with a level of confidence, however these were self-reported, and each assessment was performed relatively quickly, with little time for reflection or review of all the available evidence. It is likely that in many cases the experts tended to have a bias to mark links with strong confidence. During subsequent revisions of some maps there were substantial corrections and adjustments even for connections with a strong confidence, indicating that there could be significant errors in the maps where the experts were not available for subsequent revisions. Each of the maps were reviewed by several project team members with broad general knowledge.Not all connection combinations were captured in this process due to the limited expert time available. A focus was made on capturing the connections between the GBR and its neighbouring regions. Where additional time was available the connections within 4 regions in the GBR was also captured.The connectivity maps only show connections between immediately neighbouring regions, not far connections such as between Torres Strait and Great Sandy Strait. In some cases the connection information for longer distances was recorded from the experts but not used in the mapping process. The coastline polygon and the region boundaries in the maps are not spatially accurate. They were simplified to make the maps more diagrammatic. This was done to reduce the chance of misinterpreting the connection arrows on the map as being spatially explicit. Format:This dataset is made up of a spreadsheet that contains all the connectivity information recorded from the expert elicitation and all the GIS files needed to recreate the generated maps.original/GBR_NESP-TWQ-3-3-3_Seascape-connectivity_Master_v2018-09-05.xlsx:‘Values connectivity’: This sheet contains the raw connectivity codes transcribed from the templates produced prepared by the subject experts. This is the master copy of the connection information. Subsequent sheets in the spreadsheet are derived using formulas from this table. 1-Vertical-data: This is a transformation of the ‘Values connectivity’ sheet so that each source and destination connection is represented as a single row. This also has the connection mechanism codes split into individual columns to allow easier processing in the map generation. This sheet pulls in the spatial information for the arrows on the maps (‘LinkGeom’ attribute) or crosses that represent no connections (‘NoLinkGeom’) using lookup tables from the ‘Arrow-Geom-LUT’ and ‘NoConnection-Geom-LUT’ sheets. 2.Point-extract: This contains all the ‘no connection’ points from the ‘Values connectivity’ dataset. This was saved as working/ GBR_NESP-TWQ-3-3-3_Seascape-connectivity_no-con-pt.csv and used by the QGIS maps to draw all the crosses on the maps. This table is created by copy and pasting (values only) the ‘1-Vertical-data’ sheet when the ‘NoLinkGeom’ attribute is used to filter out all line features, by unchecking blank rows in the ‘NoLinkGeom’ filter. 2.Line-extract: This contains all the ‘connections’ between regions from the ‘Values connectivity’ dataset. This was saved as working/GBR_NESP-TWQ-3-3-3_Seascape-connectivity_arrows.csv and used by the QGIS maps to draw all the arrows on the maps. This table is created by copy and pasting (values only) the ‘1-Vertical-data’ sheet when the ‘LinkGeom’ attribute is used to filter out all point features, by unchecking blank rows in the ‘LinkGeom’ filter. Map-Atlas-Settings: This contains the metadata for each of the maps generated by QGIS. This sheet was exported as working/GBR_NESP-TWQ-3-3-3_Seascape-connectivity_map-atlas-settings.csv and used by QGIS to drive its Atlas feature to generate one map per row of this table. The AttribID is used to enable and disable the appropriate connections on the map being generated. The WKT attribute (Well Known Text) determines the bounding box of the map to be generated and the other attributes are used to display text on the map.map-image-metadata: This table contains metadata descriptions for each of the value attribute maps. This metadata was exported as a CSV and saved into the final generated JPEG maps using the eAtlas Image Metadata Editor Application (https://eatlas.org.au/tools/image-metadata-editor).Seascape-connectivity-maps.qgs:This is a Quantum GIS (https://www.qgis.org) file used to generate all the connectivity maps. To view all the maps use: Project / Layout manager, select Template and ‘Show’ then ‘Preview Atlas’. See the video tutorial for more details (https://vimeo.com/335053846).Data Dictionary:Each connection between regions was marked with codes that represented the connection strength, mechanism and confidence.Confidence1: Low (assumptions only)2: Medium (expert judgement)3: High (observational data, experimental evidence, published data)Connection strength:W: Weak connectionS: Strong connectionN: No connectionLarval or Juvenile connection mechanism from breeding site: AD: Activity dispersal (for example: something that swims)PD: Passive dispersal (planktonic larvae that drift with ocean currents)Adult connection mechanism:DT: Daily travel (movement for feeding)M: Migration (movement driven by seasons)B: Breeding (going to breed)Human Values key (type of connectivity)VR: Visit for resource use (fishers or tourism operators crossing jurisdictions for the purposes of using natural resources)VO: Other Visit (residents, researchers, government, tourists or others visiting across jurisdictions)M: Migration (individuals choosing to migrate to the other jurisdiction)Data Location:This dataset is filed in the eAtlas enduring data repository at: data\custodian\2017-2019-NESP-TWQ-3\3.3.3_northeast-seascape-connectivity本数据集呈现了大堡礁（Great Barrier Reef）关键价值（自然遗产、土著遗产、社会与历史及经济价值）与周边区域（托雷斯海峡、珊瑚海及大沙海峡）的连通性映射结果。本次映射工作旨在识别需跨多区域协同管理的价值类型。 数据集包含通过专家征询（expert elicitation）获取的连通性信息表格、基于该信息生成的全部地图，以及用于复现这些地图的所有GIS（地理信息系统）文件。本数据集基于专家意见，收录了7个区域（大堡礁远北区、大堡礁凯恩斯-库克敦区、大堡礁圣灵群岛-汤斯维尔区、大堡礁麦凯-卡普里科恩区、托雷斯海峡、珊瑚海及大沙海峡）间59项价值属性的连通强度数据。每项连通性均通过其强度、作用机制及置信度进行评估。若已知两区域间不存在连通关系，也会被明确记录。 可通过https://vimeo.com/335053846获取本数据集及其地图的视频教程。 ## 研究方法 连通性地图的信息采集自2017年8月为期3天的研讨会，共邀请约30名专家参与。专家们获赠一份模板，该模板包含昆士兰州及周边海域地图，并叠加了需评估连通性的目标区域：托雷斯海峡、大堡礁远北昆士兰区域、大堡礁凯恩斯至库克敦区域、大堡礁汤斯维尔至圣灵群岛区域、大堡礁麦凯至卡普里科恩班克斯区域，以及包含赫维湾的大沙海峡。此外，还为专家提供了一系列展示价值点位置的参考地图（若可获取相关信息）。 除地图外，模板还附带一张7×7表格，用于填写各区域组合间的连通强度与连通类型。专家们自发组成小组，讨论并完成各待映射属性的模板填写工作。每位专家需估算各区域间的连通强度、连通作用机制，以及对该信息的置信度。 受限于研讨会时长，专家们最初仅需聚焦于记录大堡礁与周边区域的连通关系，无需考虑大堡礁内部的连通关系，或昆士兰州海岸沿线的长距离连通。研讨会后半段，专家们需对已生成的地图进行审核，并拓展连通关系范围，纳入大堡礁内部的连通内容。 研讨会结束后，项目团队生成了初始地图集并进行审核，识别并解决了一系列问题。部分属性的额外连通性地图由项目团队内的学科专家在会后完成。 从模板中采集的数据首先被整理为电子表格，随后通过QGIS（量子地理信息系统）软件处理为可视化地图，以展示连通性信息。 ## 已映射的价值属性 以下为已完成连通性映射的价值属性： 1. 海草床：泛区域物种（如海菖蒲属*Halophila* spp.及盐藻属*Halodule* spp.） 2. 海草床：热带/亚热带物种（*Cymodocea serrulata*、*Syringodium isoetifolium*） 3. 海草床：热带物种（*Thalassia*、*Cymodocea*、*Thalassodendron*、*Enhalus*、*Rotundata*） 4. 海草床：*Zostera muelleri* 5. 红树林与盐沼 6. 硬珊瑚 7. 结壳珊瑚藻 8. 大型藻类 9. 长棘海星幼虫扩散 10. 鹿角珊瑚幼虫扩散 11. *Casuarina equisetifolia*与*Pandanus tectorius* 12. *Argusia argentia* 13. *Pisonia grandis*：珊瑚礁植被 14. 礁间花园（海绵+柳珊瑚）（未完整） 15. *Halimeda* 16. 上升流 17. 远洋觅食海鸟 18. 近岸与远海觅食海鸟 19. 迁徙涉禽 20. 锦绣岩龙虾 21. 黄鳍金枪鱼 22. 黑枪鱼 23. 西班牙鲭鱼 24. 虎鲨 25. 灰护士鲨 26. 座头鲸 27. 儒艮 28. 绿海龟 29. 玳瑁 30. 红海龟 31. 平背龟 32. 长鳍鳗与短鳍鳗 33. 红斑对虾 34. 斑节对虾 35. 东方对虾 36. 大白鲨 37. 海参（*Holothuria scabra*） 38. 白乳海参（*Holothuria whitmaei*） 39. 海洋国土位置 40. 有形文化资源 41. 场所依恋点 42. 历史沉船位置 43. 具有社会意义的场所位置 44. 商业捕捞活动位置 45. 休闲活动场所位置 46. 旅游目的地位置 47. 澳大利亚黑鳍鲨（*Carcharhinus tilstoni*） 48. 澳洲肺鱼 49. 普通黑鳍鲨（*Carcharhinus limbatus*） 50. 狗牙金枪鱼 51. 灰鲭鱼 52. 泥蟹 53. 珊瑚鳟（*Plectropomus laevis*） 54. 珊瑚鳟（*Plectropomus leopardus*） 55. 红喉皇帝鱼 56. 礁蝠鲼 57. 碟形扇贝（*Ylistrum balloti*） 58. 公牛鲨 59. 灰礁鲨 ## 数据局限性 本数据集的连通性信息仅为粗略结果，仅覆盖7个区域间的相互关联。连通性数据基于专家征询，因此受限于参与研讨会的专家的知识储备。多数情况下，专家具备足够知识以生成可靠的地图，但也存在部分场景：参与者的相关知识有限，或该主题的现有科学知识不足（尤其是“礁间花园”属性），或价值属性的准确含义未被充分理解或达成共识（尤其是社会与土著遗产地图）。这些情况均已在地图中注明。 本连通性地图仅应被视为各区域间连通关系的初步评估，未经额外信息源佐证前，不得作为权威地图使用。各区域间的连通链路均记录了置信度等级，但这些置信度为专家自行申报，且每项评估均快速完成，几乎没有时间进行反思或审核所有可用证据。在多数场景中，专家可能倾向于标记高置信度的链路。在后续部分地图的修订中，即便对于标注为高置信度的连通关系，也进行了大量修正与调整，这表明在专家无法参与后续修订的地图中，可能存在显著误差。每张地图均由多名具备广泛通识知识的项目团队成员审核。 受限于专家可用时间，并非所有连通组合均被纳入本次采集工作。本次采集重点聚焦于大堡礁与周边区域的连通关系。在时间允许的情况下，也采集了大堡礁内4个区域间的连通关系。 连通性地图仅展示相邻区域间的连通关系，而非远距离连通，例如托雷斯海峡与大沙海峡之间的连通。部分场景中，专家记录了长距离连通的信息，但未在地图绘制过程中使用。地图中的海岸线多边形与区域边界在空间上并不精确，为使地图更具示意性已进行简化，此举旨在避免将地图上的连通箭头误解为具有空间精确性。 ## 数据格式 本数据集由一份电子表格（包含所有从专家征询中记录的连通性信息）及用于复现生成地图的所有GIS文件组成。 ### 电子表格文件：original/GBR_NESP-TWQ-3-3-3_Seascape-connectivity_Master_v2018-09-05.xlsx - "Values connectivity"：该工作表包含从学科专家制作的模板中转录的原始连通性代码，为连通性信息的主副本。电子表格中的后续工作表均通过该表格的公式推导生成。 - "1-Vertical-data"：该工作表对"Values connectivity"工作表进行了转换，使每个源-目标连通关系均表示为单独一行。同时，连通作用机制代码被拆分为独立列，便于地图生成过程中的处理。该工作表通过查阅"Arrow-Geom-LUT"与"NoConnection-Geom-LUT"工作表的查找表，导入地图上箭头（"LinkGeom"属性）或代表无连通关系的叉号（"NoLinkGeom"）的空间信息。 - "2.Point-extract"：该工作表包含"Values connectivity"数据集中所有“无连通”的点。该表被保存为"working/GBR_NESP-TWQ-3-3-3_Seascape-connectivity_no-con-pt.csv"，供QGIS地图用于绘制地图上的所有叉号。该表通过在"1-Vertical-data"工作表中筛选"NoLinkGeom"属性（取消勾选空白行），仅复制（仅保留数值）生成。 - "2.Line-extract"：该工作表包含"Values connectivity"数据集中所有区域间的“连通关系”。该表被保存为"working/GBR_NESP-TWQ-3-3-3_Seascape-connectivity_arrows.csv"，供QGIS地图用于绘制地图上的所有箭头。该表通过在"1-Vertical-data"工作表中筛选"LinkGeom"属性（取消勾选空白行），仅复制（仅保留数值）生成。 - "Map-Atlas-Settings"：该工作表包含QGIS生成的每张地图的元数据。该工作表被导出为"working/GBR_NESP-TWQ-3-3-3_Seascape-connectivity_map-atlas-settings.csv"，供QGIS的Atlas功能使用，以根据该表的每一行生成一张地图。"AttribID"用于启用或禁用正在生成的地图上的对应连通关系。"WKT"属性（熟知文本格式，Well Known Text）确定待生成地图的边界框，其余属性用于在地图上显示文本。 - "map-image-metadata"：该表格包含各价值属性地图的元数据描述。该元数据被导出为CSV文件，并通过eAtlas图像元数据编辑器应用程序（https://eatlas.org.au/tools/image-metadata-editor）嵌入最终生成的JPEG地图中。 - "Seascape-connectivity-maps.qgs"：该为QGIS文件，用于生成所有连通性地图。若要查看所有地图，可使用：项目/布局管理器，选择模板并点击“显示”后选择“预览Atlas”。详细信息请参阅视频教程（https://vimeo.com/335053846）。 ## 数据字典 各区域间的连通关系均通过代表连通强度、作用机制与置信度的代码进行标记。 - 置信度等级： 1：低（仅基于假设） 2：中（基于专家判断） 3：高（基于观测数据、实验证据、已发表数据） - 连通强度代码： W：弱连通 S：强连通 N：无连通 - 繁殖位点的幼虫或幼体扩散机制： AD：活动扩散（例如：生物主动游动） PD：被动扩散（随海流漂移的浮游幼虫） - 成体连通机制： DT：日常迁徙（为觅食而移动） M：迁徙（受季节驱动的移动） B：繁殖（前往繁殖地） - 人类价值连通类型： VR：为资源利用而到访（渔民或旅游经营者为使用自然资源跨越管辖范围） VO：其他到访（居民、研究人员、政府人员、游客或其他人员跨越管辖范围到访） M：迁徙（个人选择迁移至另一管辖区域） ## 数据存储位置 本数据集存放在eAtlas永久数据仓库中：data\custodian\2017-2019-NESP-TWQ-3\3.3.3_northeast-seascape-connectivity