Biodiversity Characterisation of Pilbara Marine Regions (Epibenthic Sled, Trawl, Towed Video and Sediment) 2013

This dataset is an output of the Pilbara Marine Conservation Partnership (PMCP) Environmental Pressures Theme - Project Habitats and Biodiversity Characterisation and Mapping. The benthic invertebrate, plant and fish biodiversity of the west Pilbara region was sampled between 10 and 27 June 2013 during voyages on the CSIRO vessel RV Linnaeus and WA Fisheries vessel RV Naturaliste.

The equipment used was:
0.75m epibenthic sled at 13 sites for a distance of ~300m or a
1.5m epibenthic sled at 98 sites for a distance of ~150m per tow;
a Pipe dredge attached to each sled;
an 8 Fathom Florida Flyer Trawl at 43 sites for a distance of ~1km per tow;
and a Drop-Camera video system towed for a 500 m transect at 123 sites to observe and record video of the seabed habitat. Continuous underway coding during Drop-camera transects recorded cover of 9 substratum types, 25 biohabitat types, and occurrence of 14 faunal classes.

The results for the Sled and Trawl are presented as biomass per area swept by the gear (kg per ha).

During the Voyage Biota collected using the Sled and Trawl were sorted into 26 broad taxonomic categories from each tow (samples). These were photographed, weighed, preserved and retained for identification.
Large biota such as turtles and seasnakes were measured, counted, weighed (or weight estimated), photographed and returned to the ocean alive.
Non-living rocks/shells were photographed and weighed as a category called trash and returned to the ocean.

The following groups were retained and identified by taxonomists and voucher specimens curated at WA Museum:
Marine Plants;
Sponges;
Corals;
Crustaceans;
Echinoderms;
Molluscs;
and Fishes

The following groups were retained with no facility for further identification as part of this project, and are currently at CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere WA:
Ascidians - samples separated into colonial and solitary preserved in formalin;
Brachiopoda - Frozen;
Bryozoa - Frozen;
Hydroids - Frozen;
Miscellaneous - Frozen;
Worms - Formalin.

A pipe-dredge was attached to the sled to collect sediment samples: a 500 ml subsample was retained.

The Pilbara Marine Conservation Partnership (PMCP) was an initiative designed to enhance the net conservation benefits of the globally-significant coral reef ecosystems of the Pilbara (Western Australia) by providing an assessment of the condition and trajectory of key ecological values. These assessments were designed to inform and complement existing governance and management arrangements and the PMCP is intended to provide ongoing advice and assessment for conservation efforts in the region, providing lasting benefits.
The PMCP concept is based on three core ecological components, namely:
Coral Reef Health - concentrating mainly on habitat forming primary producers.
Fish and Sharks - their community structure, interactions and impacts on lower trophic levels.
Environmental Pressures - physical and anthropogenic factors that influence the condition of reefs

本数据集为皮尔巴拉海洋保护伙伴关系（Pilbara Marine Conservation Partnership, PMCP）环境压力主题——“生境与生物多样性特征化及制图”项目的产出成果。2013年6月10日至27日，研究团队依托联邦科学与工业研究组织（CSIRO）的“林奈号”（RV Linnaeus）调查船与西澳渔业部的“自然主义者号”（RV Naturaliste）调查船，对西皮尔巴拉地区的底栖无脊椎动物（benthic invertebrate）、植物与鱼类生物多样性开展采样作业。

本次采样使用的设备包括：
0.75米型底栖生物拖网（epibenthic sled），在13个站位开展拖曳作业，单趟拖曳距离约300米；或1.5米型底栖生物拖网（epibenthic sled），在98个站位开展拖曳作业，单趟拖曳距离约150米；每台拖网均搭载管式挖泥斗；
8英寻佛罗里达飞鱼拖网（8 Fathom Florida Flyer Trawl），在43个站位开展拖曳作业，单趟拖曳距离约1公里；
下放式摄像系统（Drop-Camera video system），在123个站位沿500米断面开展拖曳摄像，以观测并记录海底生境影像。在该摄像断面的航行过程中，研究人员同步开展连续编码记录，涵盖9种底质类型、25种生物生境类型以及14个动物类群的出现情况。

拖网与拖曳作业的采样结果以单位扫海面积的生物量（千克/公顷）呈现。

本次航次中，通过拖网与拖曳作业采集的生物样本被划分为26个宽泛的分类学类别，每趟采样（单站位样本）均单独处理。所有样本均完成拍照、称重、保存，并留存以待分类鉴定。
对于海龟、海蛇等大型生物，研究人员完成测量、计数、称重（或估算重量）、拍照后，将其放回海洋。
非生物的岩石与贝壳样本被归类为“废弃物”类别，完成拍照与称重后放回海洋。

经分类学家鉴定并留存的凭证标本（voucher specimens），目前馆藏于西澳博物馆，涵盖以下类群：
海洋植物、海绵（sponges）、珊瑚（corals）、甲壳动物（crustaceans）、棘皮动物（echinoderms）、软体动物（molluscs）以及鱼类（fishes）。

另有部分类群因本项目未配备进一步鉴定的条件，目前暂存于联邦科学与工业研究组织海洋与大气研究中心西澳分部，具体包括：
被囊动物（Ascidians）：样本被划分为群体型与单体型，以福尔马林保存；
腕足动物门（Brachiopoda）：冷冻保存；
苔藓动物门（Bryozoa）：冷冻保存；
水螅虫类（Hydroids）：冷冻保存；
杂项类群（Miscellaneous）：冷冻保存；
蠕虫类（Worms）：以福尔马林保存。

管式挖泥斗搭载于拖网之上，用于采集沉积物样本，研究人员留存了500毫升的子样本。

皮尔巴拉海洋保护伙伴关系（PMCP）是一项旨在提升西澳皮尔巴拉地区全球重要珊瑚礁生态系统净保护效益的倡议，通过评估关键生态价值的现状与发展趋势，为现有治理与管理框架提供信息支撑与补充。该伙伴关系旨在为该区域的保护工作提供持续的咨询与评估服务，以实现长效保护价值。
PMCP的核心框架基于三大生态组成部分，分别为：
1. 珊瑚礁健康：主要聚焦于造境初级生产者；
2. 鱼类与鲨类：其群落结构、种间互作及对低营养级生物的影响；
3. 环境压力：影响珊瑚礁现状的物理与人为因素。