Marine Habitats of Western Australia

This dataset consists of polygons delineating the broad-scale regional marine habitats of selected areas in Western Australia, mostly in existing and proposed marine conservation reserve areas. Habitat mapping was carried out by various organisations, including DPAW, using a range of methodologies over many years. Diverse classifications and habitat descriptions were standardised to the DPaW broad-scale Shallow-water Marine Habitat Classification scheme (SMHC) (Bancroft, 2003) after initial habitat mapping and classification work had been done. Habitat polygons are classified to the broad-scale ecological Community level and where more detailed data exist, local-scale Functional Group level (Bancroft, 2003). Polygons were attributed with habitat class names only, textual descriptions of these classes are provided in this metadata statement and further in Bancroft (2003).

Identification info

Date (Creation): 2006-10-20T00:00:00

Date (Publication): 2017-09-11

Custodian

Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), Western Australian Government

Locked bag 104

Bentley Delivery Centre

Bentley

Western Australia

6983

Australia

+61 8 9219 9000

+61 8 9334 0498 (facsimile)

Status: Completed

Point of contact

Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), Western Australian Government - GIS Database Administrator

17 Dick Perry Avenue

Kensington

Western Australia

6151

Australia

08 9219 9562

Topic category

Biota

Extent

Temporal extent

Time period: 1981-01-01 2003-12-31

Maintenance and update frequency: As needed

Keywords (Place)

WESTERN AUSTRALIA WEST COAST

NASA/GCMD Keywords, Version 8.5

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC): Fields of Research

Keywords (Theme)

Broad-scale habitat classification (ecological Community level)
Local-scale classification (ecological Functional group level)
Benthic habitat

Resource specific usage

Specific usage: Data supplied for use by the Seamap Australia Project.

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Resource constraints

Classification: Unclassified

Resource constraints

Linkage: http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png
License Graphic

Title: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Website: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
License Text

Other constraints: Cite data as: Department of Parks and Wildlife, Western Australian Government (2006). Marine Habitats of Western Australia. Data accessed at http://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/en/metadata.show?uuid=dfeb72ec-e314-4e6f-9ac9-96c7b1c69aae on (access date).

Other constraints: This dataset is hosted by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania, on behalf of the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), Western Australian Government for the purposes of the Seamap Australia collaborative project (testing a national marine benthic habitat classification scheme).

Language: English

Character encoding: UTF8

Supplemental Information: Bancroft, K.P. (2002). A standardised classification scheme for the mapping of shallow-water marine habitats in Western Australia. Report MCB-05/2003. June 2003. (Marine Conservation Branch, Department of Conservation and Land Management, 47 Henry St., Fremantle, Western Australia, 6160). Unpublished report.

Content Information

Content type: Physical measurement

Description: e.g. BARE REEF (subtidal)

Name: Broad-scale habitat classification (ecological Community level)

Name: Broadscale

Description: Is the concatenation of [Broadscale] and, where such classifications exist, local-scale descriptors. e.g. BARE REEF (subtidal) lagoonal reef pavement

Name: Local-scale classification (ecological Functional group level)

Name: Localscale

Description: Appended to original data for styling purposes for the Seamap Australia Project.

Name: Benthic habitat

Name: SM_HAB_CLS

Distribution Information

Distribution format

ESRI Shapefile

OnLine resource: SHAPE-ZIP
DATA ACCESS - This OGC WFS service returns the data (WA Marine Habitats) in Shapefile format

OnLine resource: seamap:SeamapAus_WA_DPAW_marine_habitats
MAP - WA Marine Habitats

Data quality info

Hierarchy level: Collection hardware

Report

Measure description: Source datasets were created using various methodologies over different time periods; therefore the accuracy of this dataset is variable and dependent on original work. Source habitat datasets were generally developed for broad-scale representation only. Polygons were re-classified as per DEC’s draft Shallow-water marine habitat classification scheme (Bancroft, 2003) (See Additional Metadata). Polygon attributes conform 100% to the draft broad-scale (Community level) classification system at the time of creation, but may change as the SMHC develops. Due to the often high mobility of marine habitats, as well as potentially incorrect original mapping, spatial inaccuracies in the delineation of polygon boundaries over real habitat areas may result in the inaccurate attribution of polygons. Attribute accuracy is also dependent on correct original habitat classification of base data, which is difficult to assess post hoc without highly detailed metadata. The delineation between habitats is shown by abrupt changes in habitat classification. In reality some changes are more often a gradual transition from one habitat to another. As a result the location of some habitat boundaries should be considered as approximate only. These habitats include many of the extensive deeper subtidal (>10m depth) and nearshore subtidal habitats which are difficult to distinguish with remotely sensed information.

Data quality info

Hierarchy level: Dataset

Report

Measure description: Source datasets were created using various technologies, methods and base mapping datasets over different time periods; therefore the positional accuracy of this dataset is spatially variable. Further ground-truthing or comparison with correctly referenced base datasets would need to be undertaken to determine positional accuracy in any particular location. Coastline boundaries depicted in this dataset were derived from a variety of sources using a variety of methods and so may not reflect the actual coastline position.

Report

Measure description: The dataset will be upgraded as priorities, time and resources permit. Further work should be undertaken on assessing and rectifying positional inaccuracies across and between the different areas, as well as further ground-truthing and gathering of metadata from original source datasets.

Report

Measure description: Attribute values have been checked and validated for consistency, and checked for logic in relation to attribute names. All attributes that require values have had values assigned. The shapefile has been checked to remove overlaps and other geometric errors. Polygons were created from a number of different datasets, which were unioned and re-classified as per the DEC SMHC scheme. As such, many polygons have irregular/angular boundaries and polygon holes exist in the dataset. These were not removed as they formed part of the original datasets.

Resource lineage

Statement: Habitat mapping datasets covering the current and proposed marine conservation reserves and surrounding waters of the Recherche Archipelago, Ningaloo, Cape Preston and Dampier, Montebello and Barrow Islands, Shark Bay, Rowley Shoals, Muiron and Sunday Islands, Geographe Bay to Cape Leeuwin, Shoalwater Islands, Swan Estuary, Marmion, and Jurien Bay were merged to produce one shapefile covering the whole state. Area (approx. period of mapping) • Recherche Archipelago (2002) • Ningaloo (1985 - 1994) • Cape Preston & Dampier Archipelago (1981 - 2002) • Montebello & Barrow Is (1994(?) - 1999) • Shark Bay (1992 - 2002) • Rowley Shoals (1996) • Muiron & Sunday Is (1994 - 2002) • Geographe Bay to Cape Leeuwin (1994 - 1996) • Shoalwater Is north (1993) • Shoalwater Is south (2003) • Swan Estuary (2002) • Marmion (1993 - 2001) • Jurien Bay (1997-1998)

Hierarchy level: Collection session

Resource lineage

Hierarchy level: Dataset

Process step

Description: Source datasets had field names standardised and then were unioned and cleaned (dangle length = 0, fuzzy tolerance = 1m). Attribute values were standardised by reclassifying habitat types described in the source datasets as per the 2003 SMHC classifications. Polygons were then dissolved by the local-scale habitat descriptor field [Localscale] and multipart polygons exploded.

Process step

Description: COMMUNITY DESCRIPTIONS USED IN DATA For further information refer to Bancroft, K.P. (2003). A standardised classification scheme for the mapping of shallow-water marine habitats of Western Australia. Report MCB-05/2003. June 2003. Marine Conservation Branch, Department of Parks and Wildlife. Unpublished report. BARE REEF (intertidal) The bare reef (intertidal) habitat is located in the intertidal zone (between the LAT and HAT) and may be offshore or contiguous to the coast. This habitat includes low cliffs (<5 m high), high cliffs (>5 m high), boulders (>25.6 cm particle size), or pavement of igneous (granite/basalt), metamorphic (gneiss/schists), or sedimentary (limestone/sandstone) substratum. The bare reef (intertidal) is typically unvegetated but may have algal turfs present. This habitat may contain a variety of mollusc species including oysters (eg. Saccostrea spp.), abalone (eg. Haliotis spp.) nerites (eg. Nerita spp. Nodolittorina spp., Littoraria spp.), chitons (eg. Ischnochiton spp.) and barnacles (eg. Tetraclita porosa). Rock crabs (F. Grapsidae) also inhabit this habitat. CORAL REEF (intertidal) The coral reef (intertidal) habitat is located in the intertidal or shallow regions (<1 m LAT) on a limestone substrate. This habitat includes the reef crest, shallow reef fronts, reef flats and shallow back reef zones (see Veron, 2000). Live coral cover varies greatly and some areas have a high proportion of coral rubble. Macroalgae, sand, reef rubble or pavement also may be present. Hard corals (eg. Acropora spp.) and soft corals (eg. Sinularia spp.) are typical of the fauna present in these habitats. Parts of this habitat typically support a high diversity and abundance of fish and invertebrate fauna. MACROALGAE (intertidal) The macroalgae (intertidal) habitat is typically located in the lower intertidal or shallow subtidal zones (<1 m below LAT). This habitat occurs on low relief reef platforms, boulder (>64 mm) or high relief reef of limestone, igneous or metamorphic substratum. Macroalgae (intertidal) habitat typically supports turf algae (eg. Laurencia sp., Ulva sp., Halimeda sp., Enteromorpha sp., Padina sp.) or fleshy macroalgae (eg. Ecklonia sp., Cystophora spp. or Sargassum spp.) and invertebrates such as gastropods (eg. Tridacna spp. clams), seastars (eg. Patiriella spp.), sea urchins (eg. Heliocidaris sp., Nudechinus sp.), and isolated soft and hard coral communities. SANDY BEACH The sandy beach habitat is located in the upper intertidal zone and typically consists of unconsolidated carbonate or siliceous sands (62.5 μm to 2 mm). Sandy beach habitats are dynamic exposed environments, which are typically exposed to strong water action such as tides and waves. The sandy beach habitat is mostly unvegetated however flora such as spinifex (Spinifex longifolius) may be present above HAT. Infauna such as bivalves (eg. Katelysia spp., Tellina spp.) may also be present. In the tropics, ghost crabs (Ocypode spp.) and mole crabs (Hippida spp.) are conspicuous in this habitat particularly at night. SANDSHOAL The sandshoal habitat is located in the lower intertidal zone, generally seaward of the shoreline habitats and are typically found in macrotidal (>2 m tidal range) areas where strong currents and wave action create offshore banks and shoals. These banks and shoals can also be connected to islands or the mainland. The sandshoal habitat consists of mobile fine (62.5 μm to 500 μm) or coarse (500 μm to 2 mm) carbonate sand, and typically is unvegetated and supports a low diversity of infauna. GRAVEL/RUBBLE (intertidal) The gravel/rubble (intertidal) habitat is located in the lower intertidal zone and is typically found in high water motion areas such as areas where strong currents or wave action occur. The gravel/rubble (intertidal) habitat typically is bare with some macrophyte attached and a low diversity of infauna. The substratum of this habitat may comprise of pebble (particle size of 2 mm to 64 mm), cobble (particle size of 7.5 cm to 25 cm), or rubble (which is generally comprised of coral fragments) or shell which is technically a pebble however has been differentiated to highlight the material source. MUDFLAT The mudflat habitat is located in the lower intertidal zone and generally consists of terrigenous mud, silt or clay (<62.5 μm) sediments. Anaerobic conditions often exist under the surface and typically have a high organic content. Mudflats are typically broad and occur in areas of low energy and high deposition such as the areas seaward of mangals. Mudflat habitats are typically bare of vegetation, but supports a high diversity of gastropods (eg. Cerinthium sp.), crabs (eg. Uca sp., Macrophthalmus sp.) and invertebrate infauna. SALTMARSH The saltmarsh habitat describes areas of low relief located in the upper intertidal zone of low energy coastlines. The substratum consists of muddy or silty terrigenous sediment. Saltmarsh habitats often occur landward of mangals, tidal creeks and estuaries, and typically supports vegetation such as the saltwater couch (Sporobolus virginicus) and blue-green algal mats (eg. Microcoleus chthonoplastes, Oscillotoria sp., Phoridium sp.), but can also occur as unvegetated coastal saline flats. In the tropics, burrowing crabs (Uca sp.), soldier crabs (Mictyris sp.) and Cerinthium spp. gastropods are conspicuous fauna in this habitat. In temperate areas, the glassswort Sarcocornia quinqueflora and Sporobolus virginicus are conspicuous flora in this habitat. MANGAL The mangal habitat describes areas of mangrove forest greater than 0.05 ha and typically is located in the upper intertidal zone. The substratum of this habitat is typically comprised of mud and silt; however some mangrove species do occur on intertidal rocky shores. In Western Australia, the most common mangrove species are Rhizophora stylosa and Avicennia marina, the latter occurring as far south as Bunbury. Mangrove roots provide a substratum for many gastropods (eg. Natica sp., Cerithium sp., Strombus spp.) and other invertebrates, such as the mangrove crab (Scylla serrata and Scylla olivacea) and fiddler crab (Uca sp.)are often present. Mangals are an important habitat for birds such as the mangrove whistler (Pachycephala melanura) and brahminy kite (Haliastur indus). BARE REEF (subtidal) Bare reef (subtidal) is located in subtidal areas with either sedimentary (eg. limestone, sandstone), igneous (eg. granite, granophyre) or metamorphic (eg. schist, gneiss) substratum, either as pavement or boulder (>25 cm) fields. This habitat typically includes areas covered by mobile sand veneers, and is located in deep water offshore or in subtidal lagoonal areas. Bare reef (subtidal) habitats are typically bare but may have vegetation (eg. Thalassodendron spp., Padina spp.), or have sparse cover sessile invertebrates such as sponges (eg. Cymbastella spp., Carteriospongia spp.), octocorals, soft corals and ascidians. CORAL REEF (subtidal) The coral reef (subtidal) habitat is located in the subtidal zone and often has high live coral cover with macroalgal turf and coralline algae covering areas of reef not occupied by living corals. Sand patches, bare pavement and rubble may also be present. This habitat is used to describe the upper seaward reef slope, sheltered back reef, deep lagoonal reef (Veron, 2000) and bommie clusters. Typically, areas of high coral cover are generally restricted to water depths of less than 15 m depth. Offshore, the coral reef (subtidal) habitats are dominated by the faster growing coral species such as Acropora (eg. A. hyacinthus) and Pocillopora (eg. P. verrucosa). This habitat typically supports a high diversity and abundance of fish and other coral reef fauna such as crabs (Families Xanthidae and Portunidae) and snapping shrimp (Alpheus spp.). FILTER FEEDERS (subtidal) The filter feeders (subtidal) habitat is located in the subtidal zone and often has a high diversity of sessile invertebrates such as sponges, ascidians, gorgonians and seawhips (octocorals), bryozoans, sea pens, soft corals and hard corals. Macroalgal turf and coralline algae may be present in areas of reef not occupied by the filter feeder community. Sand patches and bare reef pavement may also be present. The filter feeders (subtidal) habitat typically occurs in areas, which experience high water motion where the habitat is exposed to large volumes of water. This habitat typically supports a high diversity and abundance of fish, molluscs and other mobile invertebrates such as sea cucumbers and feather stars. MACROALGAE (subtidal) The macroalgae (subtidal) habitat is subtidal areas with sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic substratum of low or high relief. This habitat is found in deep and shallow-waters and also may incorporate mobile sand patches, and scattered isolated hard and soft corals. This habitat generally is covered in large fleshy macroalgae (eg. Sargassum spp., Cystophora spp., Ecklonia spp.) or macroalgal turf (thallus height <100mm) comprised of red (eg. Laurencia spp.), green (eg. Enteromorpha spp., Ulva spp. Caulerpa spp.) and brown (eg. Padina spp., Turbinaria spp.) algae. A wide range of invertebrate life such as sponges, ascidians, gastropods, seastars, brittle stars, sea urchins and soft corals, are associated with this habitat. Crustaceans such as the western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus), painted rock lobster (P. vericolor), ornate rock lobster (P. ornatus) and the southern rock lobster (Janus edwardsii) are often found in macroalgae (subtidal) habitats. MOBILE SAND (subtidal) The mobile sand (subtidal) habitat is defined as subtidal habitats that have predominantly white carbonate sands (0.1-2 mm grain size) as a substrate, which is constantly being moved by currents or wave action. However, the sand may overlay reef platform or have patches of other habitats present. Mobile sand (subtidal) habitats typically are bare, and may have seasonal vegetation or permanent patches of seagrass or macroalgae. Invertebrate infauna such as scallops (eg. Pecten spp.) seastars (eg. Astropecten spp.), and sea urchins (eg. Brissus spp., Echinocardium spp.), may also be present. GRAVEL/RUBBLE (subtidal) The gravel/rubble (subtidal) habitat is located below the LAT and is typically found in areas of high water motion such as areas where strong currents or wave action occur. The gravel/rubble (subtidal) habitat typically is bare with some macrophyte or sessile invertebrate fauna attached and has a low diversity of infauna. Rhodoliths, nodules of calcareous red algae, which may or may not be encrusting shell fragments or small pebbles, are also included in this class. The substratum of this habitat may be comprised of pebble (particle size of 2 mm to 64 mm), cobble (particle size of 7.5 cm to 25 cm), or rubble (which is generally comprised of coral fragments). Shell and rhodoliths, which are technically pebbles, are included to highlight the particular material source. SEAGRASS Seagrass habitat is subtidal areas typically of unconsolidated substratum, however some species (eg. Thalassodendron sp., Halophila sp.) may occur on consolidated substratum. This habitat is found in shallow waters to depths of up to 50 m in clear temperate waters. There are many species of seagrasses, which are perennial (eg. Posidonia spp, Amphibolis spp. Thalassodendron spp. Syringodium sp.) or ephemeral (eg. Halophila spp., Heterozostera tasmanica). Seagrass meadows are important nursery areas for many fish species and important food source for marine wildlife such as dugong (Dugong dugon) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Seagrass habitats support a high diversity of invertebrates such as crustaceans (eg. Penaeus spp., Metapenaeus spp. Portunus spp.), gastropods (eg. Thalotia conica, Phasionella australis), bivalves (eg. Pinna spp.), ascidians (eg. Botrylloides spp., Pyura spp., Polycarpa spp.), sea urchins (eg. Amblypneustes spp., Temnoplurus michaelseni) and brittle stars (eg. Comatula purpurea). SILT The silt habitat is located in subtidal areas with mud or silt (<0.1 mm grain size) substratum and typically comprises either calcareous or terrigenous fractions, with significant organic matter. Silt habitat occurs in the sheltered unexposed areas (eg. embayments), is usually unvegetated and typically has low water visibility due to the high level of silt particles in the water column. Silt habitats support a rich variety of infauna such as sea pens (eg. Sarcoptilus spp., Cavernularia spp.), molluscs (eg. Tellina spp.) and crustaceans (eg. Paneus spp.). ALGAL MAT (subtidal) The algal mat (subtidal) habitat is defined as a blue-green algal mat covered soft sediment, which typically is silt (<0.1 mm particle size). A tough surface layer of blue green algae dominates the algal mat (subtidal) habitat, which usually is void of infauna, as anaerobic conditions typically occur under the mat. PELAGIC The pelagic habitat is defined as habitats with greater than 50 m depth. The pelagic habitat is dominated by the life in the water column, which include pelagic fish, pelagic invertebrates, zooplankton and phytoplankton. Contemporary acoustic mapping techniques have been able to discern hardness (soft and hard) and relief (smooth and rough) which may be used for local scale habitat mapping (Penrose & Siwabessy, 2001; Siwabessy et al., 1999).

Metadata

Metadata identifier: dfeb72ec-e314-4e6f-9ac9-96c7b1c69aae

Language: English

Character encoding: UTF8

Point of contact

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania (UTAS) - IMAS Data Manager

Parent metadata

Seamap Australia National Benthic Habitat Layer (NBHL)

Type of resource

Resource scope: Field session

Metadata linkage: https://metadata.imas.utas.edu.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/dfeb72ec-e314-4e6f-9ac9-96c7b1c69aae
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Date info (Creation): 2020-09-23T12:31:23

Date info (Revision): 2020-09-23T12:31:23

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Title: ISO 19115-3:2018

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