Here we predict oceanographic connectivity among four geographical locations in the south west of Western Australia using hydrodynamic modelling of larval dispersal and test these predictions against genetic descriptions of population structure, population boundaries and estimates of larval migration in two co-distributed sea urchin species. Sea urchins are excellent models for characterising marine population connectivity because of their commonness, diversity of larval life histories, ease of sampling, and ecological importance as grazers in coastal benthic habitats. Our study sampled two species, Heliocidaris erythrogramma and Phylocanthius irregularis. H. erythrogramma spawns predominantly in summer and its lecithrotrophic larvae are free swimming for 3-4 days in laboratory observations. In contrast, little is known about spawning time and larval duration in P. irregularis. The south-west corner of Australia is dominated by the Leeuwin current system, the worlds only poleward-flowing western continental boundary current. The Leeuwin current (LC) is particularly strong in the late autumn and winter months and is weaker in the summer. Strong seasonal contrasts in the LC flow pattern make it possible to generate testable predictions about the predominant direction of larvae-mediated gene flow in H. erythrogramma. Comparison of genetic structure with oceanographic model predictions allowed us to make predictions about the possible larval biology of the less well characterised urchin P. irregularis.

This dataset contains species distribution, abundance and identity data of benthic invertebrates from Botany Bay, NSW. Epifauna samples were obtained every 3 months from mangroves and saltmarshes between June 1990 and March 1991. Taxa identified consisted of 9 species of molluscs, all of which were gastropods. The data were taken as a control site for similiar sampling in Jervis Bay. The data are part of the Jervis Bay Marine Ecological Study. NB - As the database has been lost, the only data still available are those published in the JERVIS BAY BASELINE STUDIES Final Report.

This dataset contains species distribution, abundance and identity data of benthic invertebrates from the Pittwater region, NSW. Epifauna samples were obtained every 3 months from mangroves and saltmarshes between June 1991 and March 1991. Taxa identified consisted of 9 species of molluscs, all of which were gastropods. The data were taken as a control site for similiar sampling in Jervis Bay. The data are part of the Jervis Bay Marine Ecological Study. NB - As the database has been lost, the only data still available are those published in the JERVIS BAY BASELINE STUDIES Final Report.

This dataset contains species distribution, abundance and identity data of benthic invertebrates from Batemans Bay, NSW. Epifauna samples from the inter-tidal and subtidal rocky coasts around the bay were sampled twice, in November 1990 and August 1991. The data were taken as a control site for similiar sampling in Jervis Bay. The data are part of the Jervis Bay Marine Ecological Study. NB - As the database has been lost, the only data still available are those published in the JERVIS BAY BASELINE STUDIES Final Report.

This dataset contains data on fish distributions and occurrences from Jervis Bay, NSW. The data were obtained from sandy beaches around Jervis Bay between October 1988 and July 1991. Beach seine and beam trawl surveys were conducted every 3 months for 3 years. Taxa identified comprised 97 fish species (including 41 species sought by commercial or recreational fishermen and 12 species classified as baitfish) and 14 invertebrate species. Baitfish (predominantly small, schooling species) made up 94% of the total fish catch, and valued fish 6%. Environmental correlations (including water temperature, salinity, waves, clarity, light wind and time of day were examined for various types of fish and invertebrates, and two common fish species Myxus elongatus and Sillago ciliata in particular. The Jervis Bay sandy beach faunas were compared with those over Posidonia beds and in nearby creeks, and with other beaches in Port Hacking and Batemans Bay. NB - As the database has been lost, the only data still available are those published in the JERVIS BAY BASELINE STUDIES Final Report.

This dataset contains data on species distributions, productivity, reproduction and growth of mangroves and saltmarshes from Jervis Bay, NSW. The data were obtained from a variety of surveys and measurement techniques between October 1988 and July 1991. Taxa identified comprised of about 130 vascular flora species, 15 of which are exotic. Species numbers range from 2 species in the mangroves to more than 80 in the fringe forest. Population structures of the 5 dominant species - Avicennia marina, Aegiceras corniculatum, Casuarina glauca, Sclerostegia arbuscula and Gahnia filum vary spatially. Temporal change in populations of Avicennia has occurred over time intervals of 20 years, the other species appear to have remained stable over the past 50 years. 13 maps on the mangrove and saltmarsh complexes have been prepared at a scale of 1:4000. The Jervis Bay mangroves and saltmarshes were compared with other locations around Batemans Bay and Port Hacking. NB - As the database has been lost, the only data still available are those published in the JERVIS BAY BASELINE STUDIES Final Report.

This dataset contains data on fish distributions and occurrences from Port Hacking, Botany Bay, NSW. The data were obtained from sandy beaches at Port Hacking between March 1990 and November 1991. Beach seine surveys were conducted every 3 months for 2 years. The data were taken as a control site for similiar sampling in Jervis Bay. The data are part of the Jervis Bay Marine Ecological Study.

This dataset contains data on species distributions, productivity, reproduction and growth of mangroves and saltmarshes from Port Hacking, Botany Bay, NSW. The data were obtained from a variety of surveys and measurement techniques from two creeks between 1989 and 1991. The data were taken as a control site for similiar sampling in Jervis Bay. The data are part of the Jervis Bay Marine Ecological Study. NB - As the database has been lost, the only data still available are those published in the JERVIS BAY BASELINE STUDIES Final Report.

This dataset contains species distribution, abundance and identity data of benthic invertebrates from Jervis Bay, NSW. Epifauna samples from the inter-tidal and subtidal rocky coasts around the bay were sampled at 3 monthly intervals between November 1988 and August 1991. Taxa identified 51 species appearing consistently at most temporal and/or spatial scales on intertidal and subtidal reefs in Jervis Bay. The data are part of the Jervis Bay Marine Ecological Study. NB - As the database has been lost, the only data still available are those published in the JERVIS BAY BASELINE STUDIES Final Report.