This data set contains Simrad EK500 single beam echosounder data at 38 and 120 kHz and Simrad EA500 single beam echosounder data at 12 kHz from the Southern Surveyor. The EK500 data is primarily for water column characterisation (fish stocks, microplankton distribution) and on occasions for seabed classification (particularly prior to the EM300 swath mapper being installed), while the EA500 data is primarily for bathymetric readings.

This record describes the longline and trap data collected as part of the Tasmanian Seamounts Study undertaken by CSIRO Division of Fisheries in January 1997. Droplines and traps were deployed for between 2 and 7 hours at four seamounts to sample the motile fauna (fish, crustaceans, etc.) living within the benthic environment. 8 fish species were collected by these methods, the most numerous being squalid sharks (Etmopterus spp.) and eels (Diastobranchus capensis, Simenchelys parasiticus). The data from these fishing methods has been added to that from the dredge surveys in the faunal sections of the report of this survey.

This record describes the benthic assemblage survey data collected as part of the Tasmanian Seamounts Study undertaken by CSIRO Division of Fisheries in January 1997. 34 benthic dredge tows were made on the top, slope and base of 14 seamounts in the survey area, approx. 100 km to the south of Tasmania, using a specially constructed dredge, in water depths ranging from 600m to approx. 2000m. Numerous (>200) invertebrate taxa were recovered representing hydroids, octocorals, polychaetes, bryozoa, bivalve molluscs, cephalopods, barnacles, isopods, decapod crustaceans, crinoids, asteroids, echiuroids, holothurians, hydrozoans, brachiopods, chitons, gastropods, sponges, and other minor groups. The data have been analysed with respect to depth, fishing history (lightly or heavily fished areas), and position on the seamount, and two main community types documented, one dominated by living colonial coral (Solenosmilia variabilis) and one by echinoids (sea urchins). Many of the species found are new records for Australia and a number are new to science. The specimens of select taxa from this survey were re-examined to enable comparison of this survey to two surveys conducted in in the same area in 2006/7 (SS11/2006 & SS02/2007). Identification were upgraded and specimens compared to the new collections by museum experts and integrated into the data. To date (Sept. 2014) we are aware of 20 taxonomic revisions or descriptions that have been published using material from this collection.

This record describes the photographic transect survey data collected as part of the Tasmanian Seamounts Study undertaken by CSIRO Division of Fisheries in January 1997. Ten photographic transects were made from the base to pinnacle of 4 out of 14 seamounts in the survey area, approx. 100 km to the south of Tasmania, using a Photosea 2000 stereoscopic deepsea camera system, in water depths ranging from 2180 m to 714 m. The transects were typically oriented N-S and E-W on each seamount, with 2 transects replicated. Between 67 and 150 photos were taken per transect, at a mean range between photos of 27 m, at heights of 1 to 4 m off the bottom. The photographs were later assessed for percent cover by a range of bottom types, and for numbers of recognisable organisms of particular types. In 2008/09 the slide images were scanned and re-assessed for fauna and sediment types for comparison with image data collected on voyages SS11 / 2006 and SS2/2007. The image annotations collected for this project have been added to the Oracle data base BHIMAGE and the associated videos and still images have been archived as described in MarLIN record 14436 'Benthic Habitats Video Image Archive'.

The project aims to integrate and synthesise data on deepsea octocoral identifications and distribution from CSIRO surveys and museum holdings in Australian waters to support research such as identification of ecological and biological significant areas (EBSA) and vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME), climatology, monitoring of benthic habitats (impacts and recovery) and biogeography. The confirmed octocoral identifications are added to or updated in CAAB as necessary, with 99-codes being established for alpha-species Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) based on the combined collection. In addition, project staff Dr Phil Alderslade is contributing to training workshops and guides for coral identification in collaboration with NIWA. The geographic extent of the project is primarily Australia's EEZ but reaching into neighbouring Oceania regions (e.g. NZ, NC). Physical specimens are lodged with Australian museums based on region of collection: (1) North Tasman Region: Northern Territory Museum & Art Gallery (NTM), with some duplicate specimens lodged with the Australian Museum (AM); (2) south-eastern Australia region: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG); (3) south-western and north-western Australia: Western Australian Museum (WAM). RELATED ACRONYMS: RAD -Rank Abundance Distributions EBSA -Ecological and Biological Significant Areas VME -Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems OTU -Operational Taxonomic Units CAAB -Codes for Australian Aquatic Biota (CSIRO)