Skip to Main Content
Search Menu
Close
Close 
Search

Metadata

Count data of air-breathing fauna from visual transect surveys including water temperature, time, sea and weather conditions in Shark Bay Marine Park, Western Australia from February 2008 to July 2014


At a Glance


Download data

Authors: Michael Heithaus, Robert Nowicki
Time period: 2008-02-25 to 2014-07-21
Package id: knb-lter-fce.1191.5
Dataset id: ST_TDCS_Heithaus_002

How to cite:
Heithaus, M., R. Nowicki. 2019. Count data of air-breathing fauna from visual transect surveys including water temperature, time, sea and weather conditions in Shark Bay Marine Park, Western Australia from February 2008 to July 2014. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/e91ff5368ab0dfc412678170f8a0d1a6. Dataset accessed 2024-04-25.

Geographic Coverage


View detailed metadata as:   HTML    Text    XML


Detailed Metadata


  • Dataset Creator(s)
    • Name: Dr Michael Heithaus 
    • Position: coPI
    • Organization: Florida International University, BBC, MSB 250A
    • Address: 3000 NE 151 St
      North Miami, FL 33181 USA
    • Phone: 305-919-5234
    • Fax: 305-919-4030
    • Email: heithaus@fiu.edu
    • URL: http://www.fiu.edu/~heithaus/

    • Name: Mr Robert Nowicki 
    • Position: Graduate Student
    • Organization: Florida Internatiional University, BBC, MSB 250J
    • Address: 3000 NE 151 St
      North Miami, FL 33181 USA
    • Phone: 336-403-2722
    • Email: rnowi001@fiu.edu

  • Dataset Abstract
    This dataset provides information on the relative abundances of air breathing fauna (dugongs, dolphins, sea snakes, marine birds, and sea turtles) in the study area of the Eastern Gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia. The dataset comprises transects that quantify animal abundances in three microhabitats (shallow seagrass banks, seagrass bank edges, and deep sandy channels). These microhabitats vary in their food supply as well as their potential to facilitate or inhibit detection and escape from predators, mainly the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier). As a result these data have been used to examine risk-specific habitat use behaviors of these fauna, in addition to general abundance estimates.
  • Geographic Coverage
    Study Extent Description
    Eastern Gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia, North of Monkey Mia

    Bounding Coordinates
    Eastern Gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia. Study site is approximately 130 km2 in area and begins immediately north of Monkey Mia, in Shark Bay.
    N: -25.721, S: -25.808, E: 113.796, W: 113.662

    FCE LTER Sites
    Shark Bay Marine Park

    All Sites
    Geographic Description
    Bounding Coordinates
    Shallow seagrass banks and channels immediately north of Monkey Mia, Shark Bay
    N: -25.721, S: -25.808, E: 113.796, W: 113.662
    Shallow seagrass banks and channels immediately north of Monkey Mia, Shark Bay
    N: -25.721, S: -25.808, E: 113.796, W: 113.662
    Shallow seagrass banks and channels immediately north of Monkey Mia, Shark Bay
    N: -25.721, S: -25.808, E: 113.796, W: 113.662
  • Attributes
    • Data Table:   Count data of air-breathing fauna from visual transect surveys including water temperature, time, sea and weather conditions in Shark Bay Marine Park, Western Australia from February 2008 to July 2014
      Attribute Name:
      date
      Attribute Label:
      date
      Attribute Definition:
      date transect was run
      Storage Type:
      datetime
      Measurement Scale:
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      year
      Attribute Label:
      year
      Attribute Definition:
      year transect was run
      Storage Type:
      ordinal
      Measurement Scale:
      year transect was run
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      month
      Attribute Label:
      month
      Attribute Definition:
      month transect was run
      Storage Type:
      ordinal
      Measurement Scale:
      month transect was run
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      day
      Attribute Label:
      day
      Attribute Definition:
      day of month transect was run
      Storage Type:
      ordinal
      Measurement Scale:
      day of month transect was run
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      FZ_st
      Attribute Label:
      focal zone
      Attribute Definition:
      standardized focal zone
      Storage Type:
      nominal
      Measurement Scale:
      1= shallow bank 1
      2= deep channel 2
      3= shallow bank 3
      4= deep channel 4
      5= deep channel 5
      6= shallow bank 6
      8= deep sand plain 8
      10= shallow bank 10
      11= deep channel 11
      12= shallow bank 12
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      HAB_st
      Attribute Label:
      habitat type
      Attribute Definition:
      standardized habitat type
      Storage Type:
      text
      Measurement Scale:
      shallow= average depth <2.5m
      deep= average depth ~10m
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      Season
      Attribute Label:
      season
      Attribute Definition:
      season (warm or cool)
      Storage Type:
      text
      Measurement Scale:
      cool= june 1 to August 15
      warm= August 16 to May 31
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      Dolphin
      Attribute Label:
      count
      Attribute Definition:
      Number of indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins sighted on transect
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: number
      Precision: 1
      Number Type: integer
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Dugong
      Attribute Label:
      count
      Attribute Definition:
      number of dugongs sighted on transect
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: number
      Precision: 1
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Seasnake
      Attribute Label:
      count
      Attribute Definition:
      number of seasnakes of any species sighted on transect
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: number
      Precision: 1
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Cormorant
      Attribute Label:
      count
      Attribute Definition:
      number of pied cormorants sighted on transect
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: number
      Precision: 1
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Turtle
      Attribute Label:
      count
      Attribute Definition:
      number of sea turtles sighted on transect
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: number
      Precision: 1
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      TRlng_m
      Attribute Label:
      length
      Attribute Definition:
      length of transect in meters
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: meter
      Precision: 0.001
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.000 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      TRlng_km
      Attribute Label:
      length
      Attribute Definition:
      length of transect in kilometers
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: kilometer
      Precision: 0.001
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.000 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Trarea
      Attribute Label:
      area
      Attribute Definition:
      area of transect (total area of sighting band)
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: squareKilometers
      Precision: 0.001
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.000 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Trdepth
      Attribute Label:
      depth
      Attribute Definition:
      average depth of water over transect length
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: meter
      Precision: 0.001
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.000 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Obs
      Attribute Label:
      quantity
      Attribute Definition:
      number of human observers on vessel
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: number
      Precision: 1
      Number Type: integer
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Time_S
      Attribute Label:
      time
      Attribute Definition:
      time of transect start
      Storage Type:
      datetime
      Measurement Scale:
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      Time_E
      Attribute Label:
      time
      Attribute Definition:
      time of transect end
      Storage Type:
      datetime
      Measurement Scale:
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      min_out
      Attribute Label:
      duration (minutes)
      Attribute Definition:
      number of minutes wherein transect was interrupted
      Storage Type:
      datetime
      Measurement Scale:
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Raw_Time
      Attribute Label:
      duration
      Attribute Definition:
      raw total time, including minutes out of transect
      Storage Type:
      datetime
      Measurement Scale:
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Total_min
      Attribute Label:
      duration
      Attribute Definition:
      total number of minutes on transect, excluding minutes during which transect was interrupted
      Storage Type:
      datetime
      Measurement Scale:
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Start_GPS_S
      Attribute Label:
      Lat/Long coordinate
      Attribute Definition:
      Latitude coordinate of transect start in decimal degrees
      Storage Type:
      coordinate
      Measurement Scale:
      Latitude coordinate of transect start in decimal degrees
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.00000 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Start_GPS_E
      Attribute Label:
      Lat/Long coordinate
      Attribute Definition:
      Longitude coordinate of transect start in decimal degrees
      Storage Type:
      coordinate
      Measurement Scale:
      Longitude coordinate of transect start in decimal degrees
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.00000 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      End_GPS_S
      Attribute Label:
      Lat/Long coordinate
      Attribute Definition:
      Latitude coordinate of transect end in decimal degrees
      Storage Type:
      coordinate
      Measurement Scale:
      Latitude coordinate of transect end in decimal degrees
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.00000 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      End_GPS_E
      Attribute Label:
      Lat/Long coordinate
      Attribute Definition:
      Longitude coordinate of transect end in decimal degrees
      Storage Type:
      coordinate
      Measurement Scale:
      Longitude coordinate of transect end in decimal degrees
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.00000 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Beaufort
      Attribute Label:
      weather conditions
      Attribute Definition:
      Beaufort weather scale conditions at deploy
      Storage Type:
      ordinal
      Measurement Scale:
      1= light air, 1.5
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.0 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Beaufort_Notes
      Attribute Label:
      Notes on Beaufort weather conditions
      Attribute Definition:
      Notes on Beaufort weather conditions
      Storage Type:
      text
      Measurement Scale:
      Notes on Beaufort weather conditions
      Missing Value Code:
      NA (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      VIS
      Attribute Label:
      visibility
      Attribute Definition:
      surface visibility
      Storage Type:
      text
      Measurement Scale:
      surface visibility
      Missing Value Code:
      NA (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Cloud_cov
      Attribute Label:
      % cloud cover
      Attribute Definition:
      % cover of clouds
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: percent
      Precision: 0.01
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      Cloud_cov_notes
      Attribute Label:
      notes on % cloud cover
      Attribute Definition:
      notes on % cloud cover
      Storage Type:
      text
      Measurement Scale:
      notes on % cloud cover
      Missing Value Code:
       

      Attribute Name:
      Glare
      Attribute Label:
      direction and intensity
      Attribute Definition:
      direction and intensity of glare
      Storage Type:
      text
      Measurement Scale:
      direction and intensity of glare
      Missing Value Code:
      NA (No usable data recorded)

      Attribute Name:
      Tide
      Attribute Label:
      tide
      Attribute Definition:
      tidal flow during transect run
      Storage Type:
      text
      Measurement Scale:
      tidal flow during transect run
      Missing Value Code:
      NA (No usable data recorded)

      Attribute Name:
      Low
      Attribute Label:
      time
      Attribute Definition:
      time of the day's low tide
      Storage Type:
      datetime
      Measurement Scale:
      Missing Value Code:
      NA (Data not collected/recorded)

      Attribute Name:
      Lo_Level
      Attribute Label:
      depth
      Attribute Definition:
      height of low tide based on lowest astronomical tide (LAT)
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: meter
      Precision: 0.01
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.00 (Value will never be recorded )

      Attribute Name:
      High
      Attribute Label:
      time
      Attribute Definition:
      time of the day's high tide
      Storage Type:
      datetime
      Measurement Scale:
      Missing Value Code:
      NA (Data not collected/recorded)

      Attribute Name:
      Hi_Level
      Attribute Label:
      depth
      Attribute Definition:
      height of high tide based on Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT)
      Storage Type:
      data
      Measurement Scale:
      Units: meter
      Precision: 0.01
      Number Type: real
      Missing Value Code:
      -9999.00 (Value will never be recorded )


  • Methods
    Sampling Description
    Visual transect surveys for air breathing fauna

    Method Step

    Description
    Visual transect surveys for air breathing fauna

    Citation
    Heithaus, Michael R. , Aaron J. Wirsing, Larry M. Dill. 1905-07-04. The ecological importance of intact top-predator populations: a synthesis of 15 years of research in a seagrass ecosystem. . Marine and Freshwater Research, 63: 1039-1050.

    Instrumentation
    Human observers on a 4.5 to 5.5 research vessel

    Method Step

    Description
    Water temperature collected at transect start

    Instrumentation
    Ship-based transducer

    Method Step

    Description
    Weather conditions collected at transect start

    Instrumentation
    Human observer

    Quality Control
    Data are checked against field notes and datasheets after entry. Data are visually inspected by graduate students and the PI to determine if any values are obviously in error.
  • Distribution and Intellectual Rights
    Online distribution
    https://fce-lter.fiu.edu/perl/public_data_download.pl?datasetid=ST_TDCS_Heithaus_002.txt
    Data Submission Date:  2014-07-23

    Intellectual Rights
    This information is released under the Creative Commons license - Attribution - CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The consumer of these data ("Data User" herein) is required to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use. The Data User should realize that these data may be actively used by others for ongoing research and that coordination may be necessary to prevent duplicate publication. The Data User is urged to contact the authors of these data if any questions about methodology or results occur. Where appropriate, the Data User is encouraged to consider collaboration or co-authorship with the authors. The Data User should realize that misinterpretation of data may occur if used out of context of the original study. While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and associated documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available "as is." The Data User should be aware, however, that data are updated periodically and it is the responsibility of the Data User to check for new versions of the data. The data authors and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of the data. Thank you.

  • Keywords
    populations, birds, mammals, reptiles, marine, Shark Bay Eastern Gulf, World Heritage Site, ecological research, long-term monitoring
  • Dataset Contact
    • Name: Dr Michael 
    • Position: Co- PI
    • Organization: Heithaus
    • Address: FIU, BBC, MSB 250J, 3000 NE 151st Street
      North Miami, FL 33181 USA
    • Phone: 305-919-5234
    • Fax: 305-919-4030
    • Email: heithaus@fiu.edu

    • Name:  Robert 
    • Position: Graduate Student
    • Organization: Nowicki
    • Address: FIU, BBC, MSB 250J, 3000 NE 151st Street
      North Miami, FL 33181 USA
    • Phone: 336-403-2722
    • Email: rnowi001@fiu.edu

  • Data Table and Format
    Data Table:  Count data of air-breathing fauna from visual transect surveys including water temperature, time, sea and weather conditions in Shark Bay Marine Park, Western Australia from February 2008 to July 2014

    Entity Name:
    ST_TDCS_Heithaus_002.txt
    Entity Description:
    Count data of air-breathing fauna from visual transect surveys including water temperature, time, sea and weather conditions in Shark Bay Marine Park, Western Australia from February 2008 to July 2014
    Object Name:
    ST_TDCS_Heithaus_002.txt
    Number of Header Lines:
    1
    Attribute Orientation:
    column
    Field Delimiter:
    ,
    Number of Records:
    1714