AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Multiple field-based methods to assess the potential impacts of seismic surveys on scallops

Marine seismic surveys are an important tool to map geology beneath the seafloor and manage petroleum resources, but they are also a source of underwater noise pollution. A mass mortality of scallops in the Bass Strait, Australia occurred a few months after a marine seismic survey in 2010, and fishing groups were concerned about the potential relationship between the two events. The current study used three field-based methods to investigate the potential impact of marine seismic surveys on scallops in the region: 1) dredging and 2) deployment of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) were undertaken to examine the potential response of two species of scallops (Pecten fumatus, Mimachlamys asperrima) before, two months after, and ten months after a 2015 marine seismic survey; and 3) MODIS satellite data revealed patterns of sea surface temperatures from 2006–2016. Results from the dredging and AUV components show no evidence of scallop mortality attributable to the seismic survey, although sub-lethal effects cannot be excluded. The remote sensing revealed a pronounced thermal spike in the eastern Bass Strait between February and May 2010, overlapping the scallop beds that suffered extensive mortality and coinciding almost exactly with dates of operation for the 2010 seismic survey. The acquisition of in situ data coupled with consideration of commercial seismic arrays meant that results were ecologically realistic, while the paired field-based components (dredging, AUV imagery) provided a failsafe against challenges associated with working wholly in the field. This study expands our knowledge of the potential environmental impacts of marine seismic survey and will inform future applications for marine seismic surveys, as well as the assessment of such applications by regulatory authorities.

<b>Citation:</b> Rachel Przeslawski, Zhi Huang, Jade Anderson, Andrew G. Carroll, Matthew Edmunds, Lynton Hurt, Stefan Williams, Multiple field-based methods to assess the potential impacts of seismic surveys on scallops,<i> Marine Pollution Bulletin</i>, Volume 129, Issue 2, 2018,Pages 750-761, ISSN 0025-326X, 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.066.

Tags: EARTH SCIENCES, Gippsland Basin, Published_External, bivalve, invertebrate, noise impacts, remote sensing
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Seabed geomorphology: mapping Australia’s way to a sustainable ocean economy

<em>Seabed geomorphology</em> describes the shape and evolution of underwater landscapes. These landscapes interact with ocean currents to create diverse marine habitats. Similar to geological maps on land, maps of seabed geomorphology are vital for making informed decisions to support the sustainable growth of our Ocean Economy.



As we gather more detailed seabed data and face increasing ocean pressures, there's a need for new, standardised maps that support consistent decision making at multiple scales and between administrative jurisdictions. Dr Rachel Nanson and an international team have developed a new seabed geomorphology classification system that is designed to simplify complex seabed interpretations into a map format that is accessible to a broad range of end users.



This approach is being adopted internationally and is currently being implemented by Geoscience Australia. We are using the method to map parts of Australia’s extensive Marine Park network and to support government to make informed decisions regarding Australia’s rapidly expanding Offshore Renewable Energy sector

Tags: DGAL, Geomorphology and earth surface processes, Outreach, Published_External, Wednesday Seminars, mapping, marine geomorphology
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Beryllium isotope signatures of ice shelves and sub-ice shelf circulation

Be isotopes are a useful tracer of sediment source and transport pathways but have not been widely tested in glacio-marine environments. We measured Be isotopes in a range of depositional environments from open marine, sub-ice shelf and subglacial settings throughout Prydz Bay, one of Antarctica’s largest ice drainage systems. We find that strong sub-ice shelf and bottom current circulations can advect 10Be-rich open marine sediments into an ice shelf cavity, and 10Be-poor terrestrial sediments onto the continental shelf at the ice shelf outflow, meaning that 10Be concentrations reflect sub-ice shelf circulation patterns rather than depositional environment. However, HCl-extractable 10Be/9Be ratios can provide a more robust discrimination of sediment deposited in open marine and sub-ice shelf settings. Thus, Be isotopes are a useful tracer of both environmental setting and sub-ice shelf circulation strength in both modern and paleo-ice sheet margins.

<b>Citation:</b> Duanne A. White, David Fink, Alexandra L. Post, Krista Simon, Ben Galton-Fenzi, Simon Foster, Toshiyuki Fujioka, Matthew R. Jeromson, Marcello Blaxell, Yusuke Yokoyama, Beryllium isotope signatures of ice shelves and sub-ice shelf circulation,
<i>Earth and Planetary Science Letters</i>, Volume 505, 2019, Pages 86-95, ISSN 0012-821X,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.10.004

Tags: Amery Ice Shelf, Be isotope mixing, Published_External, marine sedimentation, meteoric 10Be, sediment advection, sub-ice shelf currents
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
AusSeabed: Three years of coordinating seabed mapping efforts - are we there yet?

<b>This record was superseded on 13/09/2024 with approval from Director, National Seabed Mapping as it has been superseded by eCat 149851.</b>

Australia’s marine jurisdiction covers over 10 million square kilometres, and we estimate that only 25% of its seafloor has been mapped to the adequate resolution required to support the sustainable development and management of our marine estate.  Considering that seabed mapping underpins most aspects of ocean sciences and engineering, and contributes strongly to Australia’s economic, environmental and social values, it is critical that we address this fundamental knowledge gap. 

AusSeabed was founded three years ago—a cross sector collaborative national program aimed at coordinating ocean mapping efforts to maximise benefits to stakeholders.  AusSeabed is working to address many challenges surrounding efficient data acquisition, quality assurance, processing and delivery to various end-users with an aim to eliminate duplication of effort and improve data quality and consistency across sectors. 

A fundamental component of the AusSeabed program is the design and development of a federated, cloud-based, open-source platform to address the whole supply chain from data acquisition to delivery.  Importantly, this work is enabling seamless collation of seabed mapping datasets and their integration with other marine data types from a variety of previously isolated and inaccessible holdings. 

Strong community commitment and a powerful resonance with stakeholders have driven rapid program growth and are a testament to the value of deliberate and effective collaboration for national benefit.

This presentation will give an overview of AusSeabed’s current progress, highlights and forward plan.

Tags: AusSeabed, EARTH SCIENCES, Published_External, Wednesday Seminar, mapping, ocean floors
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
A Review and Meta-Analysis of Potential Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Calcifiers From the Southern Ocean

Understanding the vulnerability of marine calcifiers to ocean acidification is a critical issue, especially in the Southern Ocean (SO), which is likely to be the one of the first, and most severely affected regions. Since the industrial revolution, ~30% of anthropogenic CO2 has been absorbed by the global oceans. Average surface seawater pH levels have already decreased by 0.1 and are projected to decline by ~0.3 by the year 2100. This process, known as ocean acidification (OA), is shallowing the saturation horizon, which is the depth below which calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolves, likely increasing the vulnerability of many resident marine calcifiers to dissolution. The negative impact of OA may be seen first in species depositing more soluble CaCO3 mineral phases such as aragonite and high-Mg calcite (HMC). Ocean warming could further exacerbate the effects of OA in these particular species. Here we combine a review and a quantitative meta-analysis to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge about skeletal mineralogy of major taxonomic groups of SO marine calcifiers and to make projections about how OA might affect a broad range of SO taxa. We consider a species' geographic range, skeletal mineralogy, biological traits, and potential strategies to overcome OA. The meta-analysis of studies investigating the effects of the OA on a range of biological responses such as shell state, development and growth rate illustrates that the response variation is largely dependent on mineralogical composition. Species-specific responses due to mineralogical composition indicate that taxa with calcitic, aragonitic, and HMC skeletons, could be at greater risk to expected future carbonate chemistry alterations, and low-Mg calcite (LMC) species could be mostly resilient to these changes. Environmental and biological control on the calcification process and/or Mg content in calcite, biological traits, and physiological processes are also expected to influence species-specific responses.

<b>Citation:</b> Figuerola B, Hancock AM, Bax N, Cummings VJ, Downey R, Griffiths HJ, Smith J and Stark JS (2021) A Review and Meta-Analysis of Potential Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Calcifiers From the Southern Ocean. <i>Front. Mar. Sci.</i>8:584445. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.584445

Tags: Antarctica, ECOLOGY, Ecological Impacts of Climate Change, Published_External, aragonite, carbonate mineralogy, climate change, magnesium, marine calcifiers, saturation horizon, vulnerability
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Coastal Environment Geoscience of Cape York Peninsula

The NR14, Coastal Environment Geoscience Survey project utilises a wide variety of information and techniques to compile the basic coastal geoscientific information necessary for the development of a land use strategy for Cape York Peninsula. The report therefore provides a statement of the methodology employed, together with results of the data analyses undertaken and coastal geoscience GIS coverages completed to date.

The project was undertaken to produce a geoscientific synthesis of the evolution and character of the coastal zone of Cape York Peninsula to include:
<ul>
<li>assessment of the oceanographic and meteorological processes affecting the coastal area;</li>
<li>documentation of the character of coastal environments and the nature of sedimentary deposits within them;</li>
<li>analysis of Holocene evolution of the coastal zone;</li>
<li>identification of areas of significant instability; and</li>
<li>consideration of issues relevant to sustainable use.</li>
</ul>

Tags: AU-QLD, Earth Sciences, GA Publication, Published_External, Report, marine
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Hunter Marine Park stereo-BRUV 2016-18

Baited remote underwater stereo-video (stereo-BRUV) were used to sample the fish assemblages of the Hunter Marine Park and adjacent Port Stephens - Great Lakes Marine Park at equivalent depths. Stereo-BRUV were deployed in both autumn and spring from spring 2016 to autumn 2018 and at depth of 32-105m. The videos were analyse to all fish species to the lowest taxonmic level and estimate relative abundance (MaxN) and lengths of all species. This information was used to form a baseline of the benthic fish assemblages of the Hunter Marine Park. This study was done as part of the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub D3 project (https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/project/project-d3-implementing-monitoring-amps-and-status-marine-biodiversity-assets-continental).

Tags: BRUV, Continental Shelf, Marine Park, Mesophotic
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Mapping the spatial and temporal variability of the upwelling systems of Australian south-eastern coast using 14-year MODIS data

Coast upwelling is important for marine ecosystems and economic, because of its elevated primary and secondary productivity and large fish catch. This study developed a scale-independent and semi-automatic image processing technique to map the upwelling areas along the 4500 km long south-eastern coast of Australia from 14-year monthly MODIS SST data. The results show that there is significant spatial variability in the mapped upwelling areas, month to month, season to season and year to year. There is also strong temporal (month to month, seasonal and inter-annual) variability of the upwelling characteristics in area of influence, SST anomaly, chlorophyll-a concentrations and upwelling speed. This study identifies two persistent upwelling systems, the NSW system along the coast of the New South Wales and the WVIC/SA system along the coast of western Victoria and adjacent South Australia. The NSW coastal upwelling system occurs more or less continuously from austral spring to autumn. The WVIC/SA coastal upwelling system is a seasonal upwelling system occurred in the austral summer. The NSW coastal upwelling system has a stronger upwelling intensity than the WVIC/SA system, in terms of area of influence, SST anomaly, chlorophyll-a concentrations and upwelling speed. We believe that the NSW coastal upwelling system, especially the northern and central parts, is mainly driven by the EAC and its eddies; while, the WVIC/SA coastal upwelling is a typical wind-driven system. In addition, the results indicate that the ENSO events are likely to have a moderate impact on both the NSW and the WVIC/SA coastal upwelling systems. The El Nino (La Nina) events tend to strength (weaken) upwelling intensity.

<b>Citation:</b> Zhi Huang, Xiao Hua Wang, Mapping the spatial and temporal variability of the upwelling systems of the Australian south-eastern coast using 14-year of MODIS data, <i>Remote Sensing of Environment</i>, Volume 227, 2019, Pages 90-109, ISSN 0034-4257,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.04.002

Tags: EARTH SCIENCES, ENSO, East Australian current, El Nino, La Nina, MODIS SST, Published_External, South-eastern Australia, upwelling, wind
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
NESP MB Project B3 - A pilot service for searching, aggregating and filtering collections of linked open marine data

This record provides an overview of the scope and research output of the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub project "A pilot service for searching, aggregating and filtering collections of linked open marine data". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata.

This project aims to improve the searchability and delivery of sources of linked open data, and to provide the ability to forward collections of discovered data to web services for subsequent processing through the development of a linked open data search tool.  This work will improve access to existing data collections, and facilitate the development of new applications by acting as an aggregator of links to streams of marine data.  The work will benefit managers (i.e. Department of the Environment staff) by providing fast and simple access to a wide range of marine information products, and offering a means of quickly synthesizing and aggregating multiple sources of information.

Planned Outputs
• Delivery of open source code to perform the search functions described above.
• A simple initial web interface for performing the search and retrieval of results.
• Expanded collections of data holdings available in linked open format, including the use of semantic mark-up to enable fully-automated data aggregation and web services. In particular, addition of linked-open data capability to a pilot collection of existing data sets (GA, CERF and NERP data sets).

Tags: National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine Biodiversity Hub, business analytics, information accessability, linked open data, marine data, web services
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Geoscience Australia's Southwest Margin Geophysical Surveys

The Australian Government's five year (2006-2011) Offshore Energy Security Program aims to encourage the discovery of new hydrocarbon resources in Australia's vast offshore frontier areas through the provision of pre-competitive data and information. One priority region, identified in consultation with the petroleum exploration industry and the respective State and Northern Territory geological surveys, is the southwestern continental margin of Australia. Geoscience Australia's Southwest Margin Project is investigating the petroleum potential of sedimentary basins located on the continental margin extending from Cape Range to Cape Leeuwin. Primary areas of interest include the Perth and Mentelle basins. Other areas of interest include the southern Exmouth Sub-basin (Northern Carnarvon Basin), the offshore Southern Carnarvon Basin and the Wallaby Plateau. The main aims of the Southwest Margin Project are to provide pre-competitive regional information to underpin opportunities for the discovery of a new hydrocarbon province, to support promotion of selected areas for petroleum exploration, to enhance our understanding of petroleum potential and aspects of exploration risk and to inform future marine planning.

<b>Citation:</b> Bowen, E., &amp; Bradshaw, B. (2009). Geoscience australia’s southwest margin geophysical surveys. ASEG Extended Abstracts, 2009(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1071/ASEG2009ab018

Tags: Conference Paper, Earth Sciences, External Publication, Published_External, petroleum prospectivity, potential fields, seismic reflection, southwest Australian margin
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
The role of soil flux and soil gas in the characterisation of a surface CO2 leak: A case study in Qinghai, China

Following the drilling of a shallow natural CO2 reservoir at the Qinghai research site, west of Haidong, China, it was discovered that CO2  was continuously leaking from the wellbore due to well-failure. The site has become a useful research facility in China for studying CO2  leakage and monitoring technologies for application to geological storage sites of CO2. During an eight day period in 2014, soil gas and soil flux surveys were conducted to characterise the distribution, magnitude and likely source of the leaking CO2 .

Two different sampling patterns were utilised during soil flux surveys. A regular sampling grid was used to spatially map out the two high-flux zones which were located 20–50 m away from the wellhead. An irregular sampling grid, with higher sampling density in the high-flux zones, allowed for more accurate mapping of the leak distribution and estimation of total field emission rate using cubic interpolation. The total CO2  emission rate for the site was estimated at 649-1015 kgCO2/d and there appeared to be some degree of spatial correlation between observed CO2  fluxes and elevated surface H2O fluxes.

Sixteen soil gas wells were installed across the field to test the real-time application of Romanak et al.’s (2012) process-based approach for soil gas measurements (using ratios of major soil gas components to identify the CO2 source) using a portable multi-gas analyser. Results clearly identified CO2  as being derived from one exogenous source, and are consistent with gas samples collected for laboratory analysis. Carbon-13 isotopes in the centre of each leak zone (−0.21‰ and −0.22‰) indicate the underlying CO2  is likely  sourced from the thermal decomposition of marine carbonates.

Surface soil mineralisation (predominantly calcite) can be used to infer prior distribution of the CO2  hotspots and as a consequence highlighted plume migration of 20m in 11 years. The broadening of the affected area beyond the wellbore at the Qinghai research site markedly increases the area that needs surveying at sufficient density to detect a leak. This challenges the role of soil gas and soil flux in a CCS monitoring and verification program for leak detection, suggesting that these techniques may be better applied for characterising the source and emission rate of a CO2  leak, respectively.

<b>Citation:</b> I.F. Schroder, H. Zhang, C. Zhang, A.J. Feitz, The role of soil flux and soil gas monitoring in the characterisation of a CO2 surface leak: A case study in Qinghai, China, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, Volume 54, Part 1, 2016, Pages 84-95, ISSN 1750-5836, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2016.07.030.

Tags: CO2 leak, China, EARTH SCIENCES, Published_External, emissions, gas migration, soil flux, soil gas, surface monitoring, well failure
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network
Environmental conditions and microbial community structure during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event; a multi-disciplinary study from the Canning Basin, Western Australia

The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event (GOBE) is regarded as one of the most significant evolutionary events in the history of Phanerozoic life. The present study integrates palynological, petrographic, molecular and stable isotopic (&delta;13C of biomarkers) analyses of cores from four boreholes that intersected the Goldwyer Formation, Canning Basin, Western Australia, to determine depositional environments and microbial diversity within a Middle Ordovician epicontinental, tropical sea. Data from this study indicate lateral and temporal variations in lipid biomarker assemblages extracted from Goldwyer Formation rock samples. These variations likely reflect changing redox conditions between the upper (Unit 4) and lower (Units 1 + 2) Goldwyer, which is largely consistent with existing depositional models for the Goldwyer Formation. Cryptospores were identified in Unit 4 in the Theia-1 well and are most likely derived from bryophyte-like plants, making this is the oldest record of land plants in Australian Middle Ordovician strata. Biomarkers in several samples from Unit 4 that also support derivation from terrestrial organic matter include benzonaphthofurans and δ13C-depleted mid-chain n-alkanes. Typical Ordovician marine organisms including acritarchs, chitinozoans, conodonts and graptolites were present in the lower and upper Goldwyer Formation, whereas the enigmatic organism <i>Gloeocapsomorpha prisca </i>(<i>G. prisca</i>) was only detected in Unit 4. The correlation of a strong <i>G. prisca</i> biosignature with high 3-methylhopane indices and 13C depleted <i>G. prisca</i>–derived chemical fossils (biomarkers) is interpreted to suggest an ecological relationship between methanotrophs and <i>G. prisca</i>. This research contributes to a greater understanding of Ordovician marine environments from a molecular perspective since few biomarker studies have been undertaken on age-equivalent sections. Furthermore, the identification of the oldest cryptospores in Australia and their corresponding terrestrial biomarkers provides further insight into the geographical distribution and evolution of early land plants.

<b>Citation:</b> Gemma Spaak, Dianne S. Edwards, Clinton B. Foster, Anais Pagès, Roger E. Summons, Neil Sherwood, Kliti Grice, Environmental conditions and microbial community structure during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event; a multi-disciplinary study from the Canning Basin, Western Australia, <i>Global and Planetary Change</i>, Volume 159, 2017, Pages 93-112, ISSN 0921-8181
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2017.10.010.

Tags: Biomarkers, Canning Basin, Cryptospores, Darriwilian, EARTH SCIENCES, Gloeocapsomorpha prisca, Methanotrophs, Published_External
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network