Kimberley marine biota. Historical data: soft corals and sea fans (Octocorallia)

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 7 years ago

ABSTRACT – The Kimberley region is a vast resource-rich area with huge conservation values. In terms of its marine resources, knowledge of soft coral biodiversity is rudimentary. An extensive data compilation of Kimberley octocoral species housed in three Australian natural science collections was undertaken by the Western Australian Museum. This historic species diversity dataset provides baseline knowledge for ongoing and future soft coral investigations in the region. Nearly 80% of the data was excluded from the present study due to insufficient identification of the collections, with a total of only 63 species being recognised. Based on this limited dataset the overall fauna composition was found to be typical of coral reefs throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region at shallow depths. More comprehensive taxonomic resolution of existing collections and more extensive surveys of marine habitats in the Kimberley region are necessary to gain a clearer understanding of soft coral biodiversity and abundance, and the uniqueness or commonality of these marine genetic resources within the context of the Indo-Pacific marine fauna.