This dataset shows the global distribution of seagrasses, and is composed of two subsets of point and polygon occurence data. The data were compiled by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre in collaboration with Dr Frederick T. Short (University of New Hampshire, USA).

The Blue Habitats website has been established as a portal for information on the global distribution of marine ‘blue’ habitats. Knowledge on the distribution of blue habitats is an important input into ocean management, marine spatial planning and biodiversity conservation. Conservation International, GRID-Arendal and Geoscience Australia recently collaborated to produce a map of the global distribution of seafloor geomorphic features. The global seafloor geomorphic features map represents an important contribution towards the understanding of the distribution of blue habitats. Certain geomorphic feature are known to be good surrogates for biodiversity. For example, seamounts support a different suite of species to abyssal plains. A detailed description and analysis of the global geomorphic features map can be found in in the scientific paper published in Marine Geology (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2014.01.011). The map and the underlying spatial data can be accessed from this website.

The physical climate defines a significant portion of the habitats in which biological communities and species reside. It is important to quantify these environmental conditions, and how they have changed, as this will inform future efforts to study many natural systems. We present the results of a statistical summary of the variability in sea surface temperature (SST) time-series data for the waters surrounding Australia, from 1993 to 2013. We partition variation in the SST series into annual trends, inter-annual trends, and a number of components of random variation. We utilise satellite data and validate the statistical summary from these data to summaries of data from long-term monitoringstations and from the global drifter program. The spatially dense results show clear trends that associate with oceanographic features. Noteworthy oceanographic features include: average warming was greatest off southern West Australia and off eastern Tasmania where the warming was around 0.6 C per decade for a twenty year study period, and; insubstantial warming in areas dominated by the East Australian Current but this area did exhibit high levels of inter-annual variability (long-term trend increases and decreases but does not increase on average). The results of the analyses can be directly incorporated into (biogeographic) models that explain variation in biological data where both biological and environmental data are on a fine scale.

This dataset shows the global distribution of seagrasses, and is composed of two subsets of point and polygon occurrence data. The data were compiled by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre in collaboration with Dr Frederick T. Short (University of New Hampshire, USA). The boundaries do not represent actual ranges as seagrass are distributed in waters shallow enough for sunlight to penetrate. No surface area calculations should be attempted.

This dataset shows the global distribution of mangroves. It was compiled by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) in collaboration with the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME). The factsheet providing background information relevant to this dataset can be found at http://biodiversitya-z.org/content/mangrove--2. temporal range 1960-1996 The factsheet providing background information relevant to this dataset can be found at http://biodiversitya-z.org/content/mangrove--2.