Recent datasets

Alluvial and Hillslope Gully Mapping – Digital gully mapping based on lidar data collected 2018-2019 in sections of the Burdekin, Fitzroy, and Normanby catchments. (NESP TWQ 5.10, Griffith University)

Published on
09 March 2021

This dataset contains maps of alluvial and hillslope gullies across four large blocks of lidar covering portions of the Burdekin, Fitzroy, and Normanby Catchments. The gully polygons were generated using methods developed in the NESP 5.10 project for the extraction of gullies from lidar. Lidar is detailed topographic data collected from aircraft using an airborne laser scanning system. A significant component of the cause of declining water quality and the health of the GBR is increased land based erosion leading to sediment pollution within the rivers draining into the GBR lagoon.

Real Time Water Quality Monitoring Program dataset for Russell-Mulgrave catchment from 2016-2020. (NESP TWQ 2.1.7 and NESP TWQ 4.8, JCU)

Published on
08 March 2021

This dataset contains the results of the real-time water quality monitoring program (RTWQM) conducted across the Russell-Mulgrave catchment (south of Cairns) for "Project 25". Project 25 spanned two (2) NESP TWQ projects: 2.1.7 (2016 - 2018) and 4.8 (2019 - 2020), with the dataset for Project 4.8 also containing the data for Project 2.1.7. Data is the result of 2-3 hourly in situ logging of stream height (in metres) and nitrate concentrations (mg/L). This dataset is under an embargo period for 18 months from the completion of the project extension (NESP TWQ 4.8).

Towards a genomic predictor of bleaching in the coral Acropora millepora (NESP TWQ 4.4, AIMS)

Published on
05 March 2021

This dataset is the genome assembly of the staghorn coral Acropora millepora. Tissue samples were collected along the Central Great Barrier Reef during the 2017 mass bleaching event. Tissue was collected from a range of individual exhibiting both bleaching and non-bleaching phenotypes. A range of phenotypic analysis were conducted and linked to the genomic sequencing data provided here. The A.millepora genome (Scaffold N50 =1.23 Mb) draft assembly was constructed from a combination of PacBio and Illumina paired-end reads with 10X Genomics barcodes.

Coastal wetland systems repair across GBR catchments – values based causal framework validation (NESP TWQ 5.13, JCU and Griffith University)

Published on
04 March 2021

This data set contains high frequency logging data to measure water depth, water temperature and electrical conductivity in project wetland sites. Coastal wetlands adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) have incredible environmental, cultural and economic value. Despite this, many floodplains in the GBR catchments have been modified, impacted or lost entirely because of continuing land use change (such as agricultural, aquaculture, peri-urban/urban, and industrial expansion).

Input data for Artificial Intelligence research for the 2019 Measuring aesthetics project (NESP TWQ 5.5, Griffith Institute for Tourism Research)

Published on
01 March 2021

The last stream within the NESP 5.5 project was related to the conduct of an online survey to get aesthetic ratings of additional 3500 images downloaded from Flickr to improve the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based system recognising and assessing the beauty of natural scenes, which had been developed in the previous NESP 3.2.3 project. Despite some earlier investment into this research area, there is still a need to improve the tools we use to measure the aesthetic beauty of marine landscapes.

Focus groups data for the 2019 Measuring aesthetics project (NESP TWQ 5.5, Griffith Institute for Tourism Research)

Published on
01 March 2021

Organizing focus groups was used as an effective qualitative research method to examine collective opinions of participants on a specific topic. Within NESP 5.5 project, focus groups consist of an exploratory study to explore the psychological antecedents of human aesthetic assessment of underwater sceneries at the GBR among three groups of different cultural backgrounds: Chinese, non-indigenous Australians and First People Australians. Focus group folder contains one dataset report, and three folders (Australian, Chinese, First People) with seven images.

Eye-tracking data of the 2019 Measuring aesthetics project (NESP TWQ 5.5, Griffith Institute for Tourism Research)

Published on
01 March 2021

The second stream within the NESP 5.5 project was conducted using eye-tracking technology to examine possible differences between three participant groups in evaluating the aesthetic beauty of GBR underwater sceneries. This research continue the efforts initiated in the previous NESP 3.2.3 project to explore the power of eye-tracking as an objective measure of human aesthetic assessment of GBR underwater sceneries.

The bioavailability and chemical composition of the organic component of soils and sediments from the catchment to reef (NESP TWQ 5.8, Griffith University)

Published on
22 February 2021

This data set provides detailed information about the chemical composition, bioavailability and relative abundance of organic compounds in plant material and the organic associated with soil and sediment samples collected from terrestrial and marine environment of the Great Barrier Reef. *This dataset is currently under embargo.

Particle size distribution data and major and trace element geochemistry data from end of river sites and flood plumes for the Burdekin and Tully Rivers as well as additional sites in the Johnstone, Ross and Haughton Rivers (NESP TWQ 5.8, JCU)

Published on
22 February 2021

The dataset contains the particle size distribution analysis (on a Malvern Mastersizer 3000 laser diffraction) and major and trace element geochemistry data for end of river and flood plume samples from the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Burdekin flood events as well as for the 2017 and 2018 Tully flood events. Additional data are provided from the Ross River, Haughton River and Johnstone River. This dataset is currently under embargo. The grain size data were analysed following treatment with H2O2 which is designed to remove the organic material from the samples.

Water quality logger time series data 2016 to 2020 Cleveland Bay, Halifax Bay and Dunk Island (NESP TWQ 2.1.5 and NESP TWQ 5.8, JCU)

Published on
18 February 2021

This dataset documents the spatial and temporal variability of resuspension events and sediment dynamics at seven Great Barrier Reef Lagoon inshore locations using continuous logger data (10 min sampling intervals) over 3 ½ years and analysed the quantity of sediment collected in newly designed sediment traps. The dataset highlights the influence of river discharge events on sediment dynamics across these locations. *This dataset is currently under embargo. The key point to note is that this project is primarily interested in the turbidity (SSC), wave pressure and light data.

Predicted distribution of seagrass communities across the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and adjacent estuaries (NESP TWQ 5.4, TropWATER, James Cook University)

Published on
09 February 2021

This dataset describes the predicted distribution of seagrass communities across the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and adjacent estuaries, based on six multivariate regressions tree models for estuary intertidal, estuary subtidal, coastal intertidal, coastal subtidal, reef intertidal, and reef subtidal. The models are presented as six raster datasets with 30m resolution. Managing seagrass resources in the GBRWHA requires adequate information on the spatial extent of seagrass communities.

Transect-based surveys of riparian restoration projects, May 2017 to April 2018 (NESP TWQ 3.1.4, CSIRO)

Published on
04 February 2021

This dataset presents two excel spreadsheets containing the transect-based estimates of biomass carbon and condition score of study sites. The health of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is threatened by excessive delivery of sediments (and the pollutants they carry) to the marine environment. Remediation of riparian vegetation is considered an important mechanism for reducing stream bank erosion, improving water quality, and subsequently GBR health outcomes.

Predicted probability of seagrass presence across the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and adjacent estuaries (NESP TWQ 5.4, TropWATER, James Cook University)

Published on
28 January 2021

This dataset describes the predicted probability of seagrass presence across the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and adjacent estuaries, based on six Random Forest models. The models have been mosaicked together into one raster dataset with 30m resolution. Managing seagrass resources in the GBRWHA requires adequate information on the spatial extent of seagrass habitat.

Aesthetic Ratings of Photos of the Great Barrier Reef for Online Survey (NESP TWQ 3.2.4, JCU)

Published on
27 January 2021

This dataset presents the raw data obtained from 1415 online and representative Australian that were asked to aesthetically rate 180 photos of typical coral reef landscapes. Mean aesthetic ratings of 180 photos were collected from the survey, as well as from an expert research team, contributing mean ratings of coral reef health, coral cover, coral pattern, coral topography, fish abundance, and visibility. Please note that CSIRO have published a version of this dataset on 29 May 2019, which should be considered the primary source of data information (i.e.

Macroalgae removal and coral larval seeding experiments on Magnetic Island 2018-2020 (NESP TWQ 4.3, JCU).

Published on
20 January 2021

This dataset consists of monitoring data from macroalgae removal and larval seeding experiments in Florence and Arthur Bay at Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia, collected between 2018-2020. There were twelve 5x5m permanent plots in each bay; three with macroalgae removal only, three with larval seeding only, three with macroalgae removal and larval seeding and three control plots.

R-Software to estimate minimum cost of supplying DIN credits from practice change in cane production in the Wet Tropics (NESP TWQ 3.1.6, GU)

Published on
18 January 2021

P2R.data.reader.v041220 with Header.R This is a block of R code written for NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub Project 3.1.6 The software uses data supplied from the Queensland Government’s Paddock to Reef (P2R) modelling system, and other publicly available data, to generate plots of supply curves for water quality credits in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) for the main catchments in the Wet Tropics. The aim of Project 3.1.6 was to compare the cost of supplying DIN credits from various sources with the prices that potential credit buyers would be willing to pay for those credits.

Science evaluation of coastal wetland systems repair projects across GBR catchments (NESP TWQ 3.3.2, JCU and Griffith University)

Published on
14 January 2021

This data set contains high frequency logging data to measure water depth, water temperature and electrical conductivity in project wetland sites. In addition fish catch data in wetlands recorded during this project, using electro-fish boat. Coastal wetlands adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) have incredible environmental, cultural and economic value. Despite this, many floodplains in the GBR catchments have been modified, impacted or lost entirely because of continuing land use change (such as agricultural, aquaculture, peri-urban/urban, and industrial expansion).

Climate change doubles sedimentation-induced coral recruit mortality (NESP TWQ 5.2, AIMS, JCU and AIMS@JCU)

Published on
07 January 2021

This dataset consists of one spreadsheet, which shows the survival, number of polyps and ability to remove sediment of up to fourteen weeks old Acropora millepora coral recruits while being exposed to three different climate scenarios resembling current climate conditions and conditions expected by mid and end of the century. Coral recruit resilience towards sedimentation was tested by exposing the recruits either five- and ten-weeks following settlement (experiment 1) or only ten-weeks following settlement (experiment 2).

Oceanographic drivers of bleaching in the GBR: Hazard maps for 2016 - 2017 (NESP TWQ 4.2, AIMS)

Published on
18 December 2020

This dataset explores a new approach to predict coral bleaching events. It uses a temperature anomaly map to create a spatially dynamic temperature threshold for the calculation of degree heating weeks (DHW) instead of using a static constant. The dynamic threshold was used to classifies map areas with low, medium or high risk of coral bleaching for years 2016 and 2017.

Exposure of acute and chronic environmental disturbances affecting coral cover on the GBR from 1992 to 2017 (NESP TWQ 5.2, AIMS)

Published on
16 December 2020

The dataset consist consists of two (A-B) csv files and one excel file (E). File A shows 1) the absolute percentage total cover and that of specific coral growth forms: Acropora tabular, Acropora branching, other branching species, and massive/submassive species surveyed at 5-9 m depth on 122 reefs (335 reef sites) by the AIMS Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) and Marine Monitoring Program (MMP) between 1992 and 2017 and 2) the long-term average exposure of each reef to variable conditions in water quality (e.g.