The first survey resulting in material detailed here was collected during a survey undertaken as part of the Great Australian Bight Research Program in 2013. The Great Australian Bight Research Program (GABRP) is a collaboration between BP, CSIRO, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the University of Adelaide, Flinders University, and involves other science organizations including Museum Victoria. Part of the GABRP’s activities have included a benthic survey at sites including the GAB Marine Park and within BP lease blocks at depths of 200 to 2,000 m. The survey aims to identify biodiversity metrics such as endemism or species richness and provide baseline data against which possible future human impact might be measured. Part of the GABRP’s activities have included a benthic survey at sites including the GAB Marine Park and within BP lease blocks at depths of 200 to 2,000 m. The survey aims to identify biodiversity metrics such as endemism or species richness and provide baseline data against which possible future human impact might be measured.
In 2015-2017, a collaboration between Chevron, CSIRO and Museum Victoria conducted further surveys and research in the Great Australian Bight.
In 2017, a research cruise led by Dr Tim O'Hara on RV Investigator (IN2017 V03) conducted the first systematic syrvey of abyssal depths (2,000 m plus) along the east coast of Australia.
The content at these pages is still dominated by the material collected as part of the initial project and survey in 2013, however as of October 2017 taxa from subsequent surveys has also begun to be added, with the goal that these pages will eventually contain a summary of all abyssal (~2,000 m plus) marine benthic fauna known from Australia. The home tab for each taxon will summarise the progress towards this goal or each group of organisms.
These scratchpad pages summarise the diversity of taxa present in multicore samples from the study. Full formal description of the fauna including many putative undescribed species requires significant additional time and resources and will entail detailed dissection and imaging of taxonomically significant structures, as well as comparison with previously-described taxa. Ideally molecular data would also be used and some such data are expected to be obtained from this material (all of which is ethanol-fixed) during a future phase of this study. These scratchpad pages are not intended to replace formal taxonomic publications, instead the aim is to meet the initial requirements to report on diversity and to make the material visible to potential specialist taxonomists who we hope will include relevant taxa from these collections in future revisionary studies.
Collaborators on this project have also expanded since the first research voyage in 2013. A number of taxonomic authorities are honorary research associates and are listed along with staff at each institution. From CSIRO Marine: Franzis Althaus and Alan Williams (project lead; sampling design and collection); From SARDI: Maylene Loo (rough sorting), Leonardo Mantilla (rough sorting), Shirley Sorokin and Jason Tanner (project lead; sampling design and processing); From Museum Victoria: Sue Boyd (mollusc taxonomy), Caroline Farrelly (decapod taxonomy), Julian Finn (cephalopod taxonomy), Lisa Goudie (sponge taxonomy), Hugh MacIntosh (mollusc, holothurian and annelid taxonomy, photography, web site management, data and reporting); Anna McCallum (crustacean taxonomy), Kelly Merrin (peracarid crustacea taxonomy), Michela Mitchell (anemone taxonomy), Tim O'Hara (ophiuroid taxonomy); Mark O'Loughlin (holothurian taxonomy), David Staples (pycnogonid taxonomy), Genefor Walker-Smith (peracarid crustacea taxonomy), Emily Whitfield (holothurian taxonomy), Robin Wilson (annelid taxonomy and reporting). At the Australian Museum: Shane Ahyong (decapod taxonomy), Francesco Criscione (mollusc taxonomy), Elena Kupriyanova (serpulid annelid taxonomy), Ashley Miskelly (Hannelore Paxton (onuphid annelid taxonomy), Anna Murray (sabellid annelid taxonomy), Amanda Reid (cephalopod taxonomy), At the South Australian Museum: Andrea Crowther (anemone taxonomy). At the Western Australian Museum: Andrew Hosie (barnacle taxonomy). At the National Museum of Natural History (Washington DC): Chris Mah.
