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)

CReefs Australia项目是2008至2010年间，采集自三个地点的多类分类群样本数据集，这三个地点分别是西澳大利亚州的宁格鲁礁（Ningaloo Reefs），以及昆士兰州沿岸的赫伦岛（Heron Island）和蜥蜴岛（Lizard Island）——每个地点均设有独立的元数据（metadata）记录。采样方式包括水肺潜水、浮潜及海滩采集。
2008年，宁格鲁礁的样本采集始于6月4日至25日（澳大利亚冬季）的坦塔比迪船坡道（Tantabiddi Boat Ramp）周边区域。
2009年，宁格鲁礁的样本采集始于5月13日至6月3日的埃克斯茅斯（Exmouth）以南100公里处的克洛德角（Point Cloade）。
本数据集包含的变量有：经纬度、采集日期、物种鉴定信息（尽可能鉴定至属种水平）、采集深度、珊瑚礁带类型及其他生境指示因子。
采集到的物种隶属于以下分类类群：
1. 藻类与海草类（涵盖绿藻门、褐藻门、红藻门、木兰植物门及蓝藻门）
2. 节肢动物门：端足类（端足目）、等足类（等足目）、塔奈虫类（塔奈虫目）
3. 苔藓虫类（唇口目）
4. 甲壳动物类
5. 刺胞动物类（珊瑚虫纲、水螅纲）
6. 棘皮动物门
7. 软体动物门
8. 扁形动物门
9. 多毛类（环节动物门）
10. 星虫动物门
样本采集主要以手工方式进行，部分样本通过陷阱、采泥器、沉积物泵、手钓及鱼枪获取。
本项目作为CReefs Australia项目的一部分，旨在对宁格鲁礁开展分类学调查，以深化对澳大利亚东西岸珊瑚礁海域海洋生物多样性的认知。
该数据集的一个子集已提交至海洋生物地理信息系统（Ocean Biogeographic Information System，OBIS），相关页面链接为：http://iobis.org/OBISWEB/DisplayMetaData.jsp?content=maps_and_metadata/1466.html。
各分类群的物种鉴定工作由以下人员完成：
- 藻类与海草类（绿藻门、褐藻门、红藻门、木兰植物门及蓝藻门）：Fred Gurgel、Rainbo Rita Mae Dixon
- 端足目节肢动物：Lauren Elizabeth Hughes
- 等足目节肢动物：Neil Bruce
- 塔奈虫目节肢动物：Magdalena Blazewicz-Paskowycz
- 唇口目苔藓虫：Kevin John Tilbrook、Phil Bock
- 珊瑚虫纲、水螅纲刺胞动物：Merrick Ekins
- 棘皮动物门：Ashley Miskelly
- 软体动物门：Clay Bryce、Corey Whisson
- 扁形动物门：Tom Cribb
- 多毛类（环节动物门）：Gavin Martin Daily、Chris Glasby、Maria Capa、Pat Hutchings