Money Shoal & Pillar Bank, Arafura Marine Park, Australia (NESP - D3)

Very few surveys have explored coral reefs and associated benthic communities in the far northern region, and even fewer in the deeper waters of most of the Arafura Marine Park. This data is part of an initial characterisation of the physical, oceanographic and biological character of Arafura Marine Park, with a focus on results from a biodiversity and mapping survey undertaken by the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub in 2020, the survey targeted two areas 1. Money Shoal as an example of shallow coral reef habitat, and 2. Pillar Bank as an example of a deeper water mixed seabed environments.

目前针对远北部海域珊瑚礁及相关底栖（benthic）群落的调查极为有限，而针对阿拉弗拉海洋公园（Arafura Marine Park）多数区域深水水域的同类调查更是寥寥无几。本数据集为阿拉弗拉海洋公园物理特征、海洋学特征与生物学特征初步表征工作的组成部分，重点展示了2020年由NESP海洋生物多样性中心（NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub）开展的生物多样性与测绘调查成果。本次调查选取两处典型区域：1. 金钱浅滩（Money Shoal），作为浅海珊瑚礁生境的代表案例；2. 柱形沙洲（Pillar Bank），作为深水混合底床环境的典型样本。