'Ships of Opportunity' (SOOP) is a facility of the Australian 'Integrated Marine Observing System' (IMOS) project. This data set was collected by the SOOP sub-facility 'Sensors on Tropical Research Vessels' aboard the RV Solander Trip 5119.

The NRS Darwin mooring (IMOS platform code: NRSDAR), is one of 9 IMOS - ANMN National Reference Station (NRS) designed to monitor oceanographic phenomena in Australian coastal ocean waters. The NRSDAR buoy is deployed at Latitude: -12.3382, Longitude: 130.6952. The IMOS national reference stations will extend the number of long term time series observations in Australian coastal waters in terms of variables recorded both in their temporal distribution and geographical extent. It will also provide for biological, physical and chemical sampling and for 'ground truth' of remotely sensed observations.

'Ships of Opportunity' (SOOP) is a facility of the Australian 'Integrated Marine Observing System' (IMOS) project. This data set was collected by the SOOP sub-facility 'Sensors on Tropical Research Vessels' aboard the RV Solander Trip 20170424.

This data set was collected by weather sensors deployed on the AIMS Weather Station site Daintree River.

This data set was collected by weather sensors deployed on the AIMS Weather Station site Orpheus Island.

Field and laboratory culture experiments were conducted to determine limiting and optimum concentrations of available nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) for growth of Sargassum baccularia. The macroalgal communities at each of Brook (Oct 1995, May 1996), Fantome (Nov 1995, Mar 1996) and Great Palm (Oct, Nov 1995; Feb, May, July Aug 1996) Islands were examined. Critical and subsistence levels of available nutrients in algal tissues were determined in the field and compared with experimental values. A 'mini budget' estimated nutrient requirements with nutrient supply.Samples were sorted to genus or species level with identifications comprising Chlorophyta (17 taxa), Phaeophyta (21), Rhodophyta (16) and seagrasses (5). Categories for biomass sampling were: dominant, ephemeral (seasonally occurring), minor/present (biomass Tissue nutrient analyses were conducted on young basal shoots (from holdfast tissue and distal parts of older shoots); bearing branches; and vesicles. Total carbon and nitrogen, total phosphorus and water soluble phosphorus (assumed to consist of both phosphate and polyphosphates, 'storage P') were analysed. Growth rates were recorded for 20 Sargassum baccularia thalli in each locality every 4-6 weeks over a period of 15 months: wet weight, maximum length (to the nearest 5mm, and for excised young shoots to the nearest mm). Although loss or damage to shoots occurred, at least 10 shoots (20 originally) were always present. For the calculation of mass-specific growth rates, length (in cm) were converted to fresh weight data (in g).Productivity measurements were carried out on 8 replicates of excised young shoots at Great Palm Island using a data logging respirometer to measure photosynthesis and respiration rates. In some cases the oxygen probe failed and an additional run was made. The respirometer simultaneously monitored water temperature (averaged over the 24 hour period of each run) and underwater light (integrated to total daily sums).The fresh weight of each basal shoot was determined at the start and at the end of the 3 wk experimental culture period. Growth was determined as mass-specific growth rate per day. The concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in tissue was analysed in samples taken at the start and end of each experiment. Uptake rates were calculated from the differences in nutrient concentrations of the in- and out- flowing seawater. At the end of Weeks 1, 2, and 3 of each experimental run, triplicate water samples were taken from each culture flask for both ammonium and phosphate analyses. To determine subsistence concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus (tissue nutrient levels at zero growth rates), shoots were kept under conditions with minimal nutrient supply - natural seawater without detectable inorganic nutrients but with organic nutrients. This also provided an estimate of the nutrient storage capacity (the length of time that growth can be sustained without external inorganic nutrient supply). To obtain mass-specific growth rates, the fresh weights of the experimental shoots were determined every 5 days for 30 days. Water samples for analyses of standing concentrations of nutrients were taken in triplicate at high tide at each of 3 Great Palm Island stations.The nutrient 'mini budget' calculations used nitrite and nitrate (DIN) and phosphate measurements from 9 samples each taken on 8 occasions between June 1995 and June 1996 at Great Palm Island. To estimate the limiting and optimum nutrient concentrations for the growth of Sargassum baccularia under continuous supply of ammonium and phosphate.To assess the nutrient situation in the field by estimating a 'mini budget' of nutrient requirements and supply by comparing levels determined in cultures with those in field tissues.To provide data on the biomass and genera/species distribution of macrophytes on 3 fringing reef sites over the course of 15 months.To assess the growth and productivity of Sargassum baccularia, the dominant macroalgal biomass on the 3 sites. Algal species identified: Acanthophora spicifera, Amphiroa crassa, Anadyomene sp., Caulerpa taxifola, C. sertularioides, C. serrulata, C. racemosa, Chaetomorpha spiralis, Chladophora sp., Chlorodesmis fastigiata, Chnoospora implexa, Chondria sp., Codium sp., Colpomenia sinuosa, Cymodocea rotunda, C. serrulata, Cystoseria trinodis, Dictyosphaeria cavernosa, D. versluysii, Dictyota spp., Digenea simplex, Gracilaria arcuata, G. edulis, G. salicornia, G. textorii, Halimeda cylindracea, H. optunia, H. tuna, Halodule uninervis, Halophila ovalis, Hormophysa cuneiformis, Hydroclathrus clathratus, Jania crassa, J. adhaerens, Laurencia filiformis, L. intricata, L. papillosa, Leveilla jungermannioides, Liagora sp., Lobophora variegata, Neomeris van-bosseae, Padina spp., Peyssonnelia sp., Rosevingea orientalis, R. intricarta, Sargassum baccularia, S. decurrens, S. fissifolium, S. linnearifolium, S. oligocystum, S. opacum, S. polycystum, S. siliquosum, Spatoglossum sp., Thalassia hemprichii, Turbinaria ornata, Turbinaria sp., Valonia sp., Ventricaria ventricosa.

Marine survey specialists Fugro Survey Pty Ltd (FUGRO) were contracted to conduct a habitat mapping hydro acoustic survey in three distinct regions of the Ningaloo Marine Park (NMP); Osprey, Boat Passage and Mandu.The multi beam survey was conducted using a Reson Seabat 8101. This survey provides detailed seafloor raster imagery of both bathymetry (shape) and backscatter (texture) to enable the preparation of high resolution habitat maps of the areas surveyed. The Reson Seabat 8101 was configured to output snippet backscatter data, which permits a geo-referenced textured map to be generated across the survey area.Complete coverage was achieved in the Osprey and Boat Passage regions, however due to time and safety constraints only the near shore portions of the Mandu region were surveyed. This survey was undertaken to provide a tool for the identification of areas of bathymetric and topographical interest in areas with different levels of protection within the Marine Park.The multi-beam data will allow the characterization and classification of the seafloor in terms relevant to the distribution of benthic habitats and help understand the spatial and temporal distribution of the deep water marine environment of NMP. The combination of topography and textural surfaces provide an excellent reference dataset for research and management of the NMP.

To investigate the potential nutrient enrichment of corals by fish wastes, Acropora kenti, Pocillopora verrucosa, Poritesa lutea and Platygyra daedalea colonies were collected from the GBR in Feb 2022, then returned to AIMS's National Sea Simulator. Coral were sampled for protein/symbiont density, then fragmented into smaller (~10g) pieces and aloowed to recover and acclimate to the captive conditions for 1.5 months. Corals were then randomally allocated to treatments where they were either 1) kept with a school of 10 juvenile Chromis viridis fed a pelleted diet, 2) supplied filtered water from a tank housing C. viridis, 3) fed live feeds (enriched Artemia/rotifers and microalgae mix) whilst maintained with C. viridis, 4) supplied only with the live feeds, 5) supplied with a pelleted fish diet without C. viridis, and 6) not supplied feeds and without C. viridis, with four replicate tanks per treatment. During the experiment survival of corals was monitored, growth was measured using bouyant weight and photosynthetic efficiency tracked using dark adapated maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm). At the end of the experiment, a subset of the samples were frozen and tissue stripped using high-pressure air and filtered seawater. The resulting tissue slurry was homogenised, then used to measure protein contect via a BCA assay and symbiont density using a BD Acurri C6 Flow Cytometer. Water quailty samples were taken weekly throughout the experiment, and analysed for NH4, NO2, NO3, PO4, DOC, PN and PC. Fish were anaethatised using Aqui-S at the end of the experiment and weighed.

Glass microscope slides placed in square polyvinyl chloride frames (112 per grid), exposing the top surface to the seawater, were deployed at Davies Reef, on the Great Barrier Reef at two depths - 4 m (shallow) and 10 m (deep) - within each of 2 sites. To allow biofilm development, slides were maintained at site 1 for 2, 4, and 8 weeks, and at site 2 for 8 weeks prior to the November 2000 mass coral spawning. Slides were used in larval metamorphosis assays, with a minimum of 20 replicate biofilm slides randomly selected for each treatment. To determine biofilm community composition, an additional 30 slides were randomly selected for DNA extraction, 30 slides for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and 10 slides for scanning electron microscopy (SEM).Coral larvae used in the metamorphosis assays were raised from gametes collected from live colonies of the reef-building coral Acropora microphthalma, from a depth of 6 to 8 m on a fringing reef of Pelorus Island, Great Barrier Reef. Slides were sorted according to whether or not they induced larval metamorphosis, and replicate slides were processed for SEM, FISH, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Sequences of oligonucleotide probes used for FISH. DGGE: the 16S rRNA genes were amplified by PCR with bacterial and eukaryotic primers.Estimates were made of the relative densities of specific probe-targeted bacteria and archaea (Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Cytophaga-Flavobacterium, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetales, Archaea). The importance of three factors (depth, time, and CCA presence) in inducing larval metamorphosis was investigated in an unbalanced repeated-measures analysis of variance (type IV SS; SPSS version 11).Quantitative estimates of biofilm community composition were made using group-specific FISH probes. All densities are expressed as a percentage of total bacterial numbers obtained using dual hybridization reactions with the bacterium-specific probe EUB338. A principal-component analysis (PCA) was used to summarize biofilm community composition using FISH data in which depth of biofilm formation and exposure time of slides were the variables. Cluster analysis was used to identify replicates that generated similar DGGE profiles. To examine the community structure of developing coral reef biofilms and their ability to induce the metamorphosis of coral larvae.To examine the role microorganisms not associated with calcareous coralline algae in coral metamorphosis.

Sea level, currents and winds were measured at several locations on the Great Barrier Reef continental shelf between June and November 1980.Six Aanderaa model RCM4 current meters, recording data at half-hourly intervals, were deployed at Britomart Passage, Brook Island (2 sites), Cape Upstart, Euston Reef, Green Island and Old Reef at depths between 20 and 50m.Seven water level recorders (four Aanderaa model WLR5, two Aanderaa model 3 and one General Oceanic model TG12) recording data at half-hourly intervals using a 56 second integration time, were deployed at Britomart, Carter, Euston, Gilbey, Keeper and Myrmidon Reefs and Coral Creek. Port authorities provided additional sea level and tide data from Gladstone, Townsville and Cairns harbours.Wind and atmospheric pressure data were collected from a Microdata meteorological station installed at Rib Reef (half-hourly). A CSIRO Aanderaa meteorological station provided hourly wind-vector data for Carter Reef. Wind-vector and atmospheric pressure data (3-hourly) for Flinders Reef, Thursday Island, Townsville, Cooktown and Gladstone were obtained from the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology.Hydrographic transects from the coast to Myrmidon Reef were carried out monthly. This research was initiated as a component of a study of the physical oceanography of the central region of the Great Barrier Reef. The data collected were used to estimate term balances in the equations for wind-driven shallow-water waves.