This was originally a compilation dataset containing all vessel-collected and centrally held biological data from CMR voyages forming part of the 1982-1997 "North West Shelf Study". The data were extracted from the master North West Shelf Database (as described by R. Campbell, 1984 unpublished, with additional data from 1995 and 1997) for the use of the NWS Joint Environmental Management Study, and have been subject to additional maintenance with some new information added by Xi He's group. This version of the data is a copy of the MS Access files held by Xi's group as at October 2000, with no additional quality checks. Data represented are operation, species, and length-frequency data from Soela voyages SO 5/82, SO 6/82, SO 1/83, SO 2/83, SO 3/83, SO 4/83, SO 5/83, SO 6/86, SO 7/87, SO 5/88, Pride of Eden PoE 4/89, Southern Surveyor SS 02/90, SS 04/91, SS 08/95 and SS 07/97. Biological data from other CSIRO voyages through this region but not part of this series of cruises has been extracted separately as a complementary dataset to the present one (see separate metadata record "Biological Data from CMR Research Vessels, North West Shelf, part II"). In addition to the trawl station and catch data, details of photographic stations is included along with recently compiled data from detailed analyses of the underwater photographs carried out subsequent to the original data collection. Additional information regarding individual components of this dataset is contained in separate MarLIN metadata records which exist for each voyage (e.g. "Soela Voyage SO 5/82 Biological Data Overview", etc.), and in the cruise report for each voyage. Information regarding the photographic analyses is held by Xi He's group. Access to BIODATA is now available via the Data Trawler application, please see Data link.

Work on this catalogue began in February 2009, and is on-going. The catalogue provides a brief description of a collection of Biological Field Data Sheets held in the O&A Bio-Data compactus No. 1 in the Hobart Marine Laboratories Block 1 Store. The compactus has six bays, and holds research vessel log sheets collected in: 1950s - Vessel Logs including biological observations + Pearl shell measurements. 1960s - Vessel Logs including biological observations + commercial Tuna and Northern Prawn. 1970s, 1980s and 1990s - Vessel Logs including biological observations. There are a few papers relating to data collected as early as 1938. Each folder of field data sheets will have a TRIM record created, then be scanned to PDF and made available via this record or the related voyage metadata record. The final aim of the project is to have a Marlin record for each data set, and as the need arises, have individual CMAR projects transcribe the data, and then add these data to the CMAR Data Warehouse.

This was originally a compilation dataset containing all vessel-collected and centrally held biological data from CMR voyages forming part of the 1982-1997 "North West Shelf Study". The data were extracted from the master North West Shelf Database (as described by R. Campbell, 1984 unpublished, with additional data from 1995 and 1997) for the use of the NWS Joint Environmental Management Study, and have been subject to additional maintenance with some new information added by Xi He's group. This version of the data is a copy of the MS Access files held by Xi's group as at October 2000, with no additional quality checks. Data represented are operation, species, and length-frequency data from Soela voyages SO 5/82, SO 6/82, SO 1/83, SO 2/83, SO 3/83, SO 4/83, SO 5/83, SO 6/86, SO 7/87, SO 5/88, Pride of Eden PoE 4/89, Southern Surveyor SS 02/90, SS 04/91, SS 08/95 and SS 07/97. Biological data from other CSIRO voyages through this region but not part of this series of cruises has been extracted separately as a complementary dataset to the present one (see separate metadata record "Biological Data from CMR Research Vessels, North West Shelf, part II"). In addition to the trawl station and catch data, details of photographic stations is included along with recently compiled data from detailed analyses of the underwater photographs carried out subsequent to the original data collection. Additional information regarding individual components of this dataset is contained in separate MarLIN metadata records which exist for each voyage (e.g. "Soela Voyage SO 5/82 Biological Data Overview", etc.), and in the cruise report for each voyage. Information regarding the photographic analyses is held by Xi He's group. Access to BIODATA is now available via the Data Trawler application, please see Data link.

This record is an overview entry for biological data collected on Pride of Eden cruise PoE 4/89 (originally scheduled as Soela SO 4/89; also referred to in some documentation as PoE 4/89). This cruise took place on the Australian North West Shelf during 12 September - 10 October 1989, under the leadership of Wade Whitelaw. 105 trawl stations were completed; length frequency data for 14 species of fish was collected including Saurida, Epinephelus, Lutjanus, Nemipterus, Diagramma an Lethrinus spp.; 3 hydrographic transects were carried out using a submersible data logger (SDL) to profile temperature and salinity; and numerous fish specimens were retained for further taxonomic study. Otoliths were collected from 4 of the major species (Lutjanus sebae, Lutjanus choerorynchus, Saurida undosquamis and Nemipterus furcosus). 35mm underwater photography was used successfully on 79 of the trawl stations and an underwater video camera was deployed on 17 trawls to ascertain the effects of the trawl on the benthos. Video and observations were also made of commercial trawling practices in the area as used on F.V. "Pilbura".(derived from the cruise report) - Biological Field Data Sheets recorded during this voyage have been scanned to PDF, and are available (to CSIRO Staff only) on-line. See the details link under "Stored Media List" (below).