Enigmatic declines of Australia’s sea snakes from a biodiversity hotspot. Survey of seasnakes at Ashmore Reef, Australia (1973 - 2007)

Vimoksalehi Lukoschek

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2013.07.004

Enigmatic declines of Australia’s sea snakes from a biodiversity hotspot. Survey of seasnakes at Ashmore Reef, Australia (1973 - 2007)

Citation

Lukoschek V (2022). Enigmatic declines of Australia’s sea snakes from a biodiversity hotspot. Survey of seasnakes at Ashmore Reef, Australia (1973 - 2007). CSIRO National Collections and Marine Infrastructure (NCMI) Information and Data Centre (IDC). Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.07.004 accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-12.

Description

Surveys conducted in eight years between 1973 and 2010 recorded the highest abundances (average 42–46 snakes per day) and species richness (nine species) in 1973 and 1994. In 2002 abundance had declined by more than 50% (21 snakes per day) and only five species were recorded. Since 2005 abundances have been consistently low (1–7 snakes per day), with just two species, Aipysurus laevis and Emydocephalus annulatus, recorded in significant numbers. Despite extensive searches since 2005 (especially in 2010) five species of sea snake historically abundant at Ashmore Reef have not been sighted and are presumed to have become locally extinct. These species include three Timor Sea endemics Aipysurus apraefrontalis, Aipysurus foliosquama, Aipysurus fuscus, and one Australasian endemic Aipysurus duboisii.

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Seasnakes

Squamata
rank: order

Geographic Coverages

Ashmore Reef

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Vimoksalehi Lukoschek
originator
position: Principal Investigator
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies,James Cook University
Townsville
4811
Queensland
email: vimoksalehi.lukoschek@jcu.edu.au

Vimoksalehi Lukoschek
metadata author
position: Principal Investigator
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies,James Cook University
Townsville
4811
Queensland
email: vimoksalehi.lukoschek@jcu.edu.au

OBIS Australia Node manager
publisher
position: OBIS Australia Node Manager
CSIRO National Collections and Marine Infrastructure Data Centre
PO Box 1538
Hobart
7001
Tasmania
AU
Telephone: +61 3 6232 5062
email: obisau@csiro.au
homepage: http://www.obis.org.au

Vimoksalehi Lukoschek
administrative point of contact
position: Principal Investigator
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies,James Cook University
Townsville
4811
Queensland
email: vimoksalehi.lukoschek@jcu.edu.au