This Classification Catalog shows example images for all biotic labels used in developing the Antarctic Seafloor Annotated Imagery Database (AS-AID). This catalog represents a snapshot of the database at the time of publication of the associated data-paper. The labels used are based on the Australian Morphospecies Catalog, which is an extension of the CATAMI classification scheme. All underlying data are publicly available on Squidle+ (https://squidle.org). Up to 16 randomly selected images are presented for each classification, alongside a table with the following information: • Found in campaigns: a list of all campaigns in AS-AID in which this organism has been detected • Total annotations: the total number of annotations for this label • VME-taxa: whether this label is identified as a CCAMLR Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem taxa

We hypothesised that New Zealand sea lions from Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku of various sex and age classes would utilise the water column differently due to differing physiological constraints and therefore have different accessibility to prey resources. We tested whether sea lion diving behaviour varied in relation to (i) age and sex class, (ii) time of day and (iii) water depth. We also hypothesized that the proportion of benthic/pelagic diving, and consequently risk of fisheries interaction, would vary in relation to age and sex. Satellite telemetry tags were deployed on 25 NZSL from a range of age/sex classes recording dive depth, duration and location. Adult females and juveniles used inshore, benthic habitats, while sub-adult males also utilised benthic habitats, they predominantly used pelagic habitat at greater distances from the island. Adult females and juveniles exhibited shorter dives than the same age/sex classes at the Auckland Islands, suggesting a lower dive effort for these age/sex classes at Campbell Island.

The offshore renewable energy (ORE) sector is rapidly developing in Australian waters to support national carbon emission targets. However, new marine infrastructure can introduce additional risks to threatened species. The eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) was identified by the Australian Government as a priority species for assessing potential ORE impacts. This subspecies ranges from the Subtropical Convergence (~40-45°S) to Southeast Asia (~2°S), with much of its documented distribution occurring within Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Its distribution overlaps with multiple anthropogenic activities, indicating likely exposure to existing and emerging pressures. This dataset compiled available spatial information to quantify the full distribution and foraging distribution of pygmy blue whales, and to assess exposure to individual and cumulative threats across the species’ range. The threat exposure analysis incorporated expert elicitation to estimate the probability of exposure arising from spatial overlap between pygmy blue whale distribution and anthropogenic pressures, with particular focus on areas undergoing ORE development. The cumulative exposure assessment indicated relatively low exposure of pygmy blue whales to existing threats within Australian waters, including within declared ORE areas. However, several data and knowledge gaps were identified that should be addressed before further ORE development. The resulting spatial layers provide a baseline for impact assessment by industry and regulators, and support decision-making for sustainable ORE development in Australian waters.

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) in Australia are endangered following severe depletion by commercial whaling. Australian southern right whales comprise two partially differentiated populations, a smaller eastern population and a larger western population. Encounter Bay (SA) lies near the geographic boundary between these populations and is a re-emerging calving and aggregation area. However, the population identity of whales using Encounter Bay, their subsequent coastal and offshore movements, and their exposure to anthropogenic threats is poorly understood. Four southern right whales were satellite tagged in Encounter Bay in June 2024 to investigate migratory movements, connectivity, behaviour and exposure to anthropogenic and environmental threats. The data are provided as (1) raw tracking data containing Argos satellite-tag locations; and (2) locations predicted at six-hour intervals using a state-space model, together with dive metrics summarised for the three hours before and after each modelled location. Spatial risk-exposure data are provided as rasters representing exposure of the tagged whales to climate change, entanglement, chronic underwater noise, pollution and ship strike, together with cumulative exposure across these threats. Exposure was derived by combining spatial patterns of whale occurrence with normalised threat intensity and is expressed from 0 (no exposure) to 1 (maximum exposure). Together, these data describe the coastal and offshore movements of southern right whales, and their spatial exposure to anthropogenic and environmental threats across southern Australian waters. ***EMBARGO NOTE*** This data is embargoed until June 2027. Please contact the MaC Hub Data Manager (Emma.Flukes@utas.edu.au) for access enquiries prior to this date.

The data here presented shows the relationship between sea urchin numbers and algal cover in the Western Mediterranean. Data was collected in several underwater surveys using subdivided quadrats. The grazing effect of urchins on the macroalgal community was evaluated.

This dataset contains image annotations for 21 Antarctic research campaigns between 1985 and 2019, recorded as part of the Antarctic Seafloor Annotated Imagery Database (AS-AID). This snapshot of the AS-AID annotations comprises of a total of 632,252 expert annotations. Annotations are based on the Collaborative and Automated Tools for Analysis of Marine Imagery (CATAMI) classification scheme and have been reviewed by experts. Three annotation sets exist for each campaign: point grid annotations of 108 points per image, bounding box annotations for mobile fauna, and bounding box annotations for select benthic species which are classified as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem species. All annotations are also accessible through Squidle+ by following this persistent link: https://squidle.org/geodata/explore/map?filters=%7B%22platform_ids%22%3A%5B%2222%22%5D%7D This dataset can be used to investigate species distributions, community patterns, provide a reference to assess change through time, and can be used to train algorithms to automatically detect and annotate marine fauna.  

This dataset comprises observations from four captive feeding experiments conducted at IMAS Taroona laboratories between 2020 and 2024. The experiments investigated predation by southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) on the invasive long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) and the native sea urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma). Experimental conditions included live urchins, urchin roe, and trimmed urchins. This data is directly linked to the following publication: Jennifer E Smith, John Keane, Craig Mundy, Caleb Gardner, Michael Oellermann, Spiny lobsters prefer native prey over range-extending invasive urchins, ICES Journal of Marine Science, Volume 79, Issue 4, May 2022, Pages 1353–1362, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac058

This data package consists of two files to accompany the manuscript Smith JE, Flukes E, Keane JP. (2024) The risky nightlife of undersized sea urchins. Marine & Freshwater Research 75, MF23189. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF23189 Dataset A: 211 Centrostephanus rodgersii (longspined sea urchin) were measured for test diameter and spine canopy at Fortescue Bay, Tasmania, Australia in May-June 2023 (FB_TD_SC.csv) Dataset B: Urchin movement data from Flukes et al. 2023 and associated urchin sizes measured in this study (whole_measured_df.csv)

Data to accompany publication on wild diet of southern rock lobster on the east coast of Tasmania. In this study we collected 64 lobsters and analysed the diet of each individual using stomach contents, stable isotope analysis and DNA identification of prey species in faecal samples.

Adult and sub-adult Red handfish (Thymichthys politus) and Spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) preserved specimens and underwater images were used for analysing morphometrics (comprising of specimens from the CSIRO Australian National Fish Collection and underwater images). Individuals were measured for the morphological traits using electronic callipers (±0.1 mm) for preserved specimens and using Image J software for digital records. Note digital image size calibration occurred using a ruler in images or from size taken in situ. The purpose was to investigate whether external morphometrics could be used to determine sex in handfishes.