Online-only Table 2 Attribute names and definitions used in the Seamap Australia data layer.

Data_BC

Title of source dataset used for biotic classification (NA if no biota data available)

Data_SC

Title of source dataset used for substratum classification (NA if no substrata data available)

Source_BC

Owners of source dataset used for biotic classification (NA if no biota data available)

Source_SC

Owners of source dataset used for substratum classification (NA if no substrata data available)

Info_BC

URL for metadata record containing information on source dataset used for biotic classification (NA if no biota data available)

Info_SC

URL for metadata record containing information on source dataset used for substratum classification (NA if no substrata data available)

Date_BC

Date of collection of dataset used for biotic classification (NA if no biota data available)

Date_SC

Date of collection of dataset used for substratum classification (NA if no substrata data available)

Methods_Br

Broadscale data collection methods e.g multibeam, aerial photography

Methods_F

Finescale data collection methods e.g. underwater video, diver survey

MEOW_Realm

[location] Realm – Marine Ecoregions of the World (Spalding et al. 2007)

MEOW_Prov

[location] Province – Marine Ecoregions of the World (Spalding et al. 2007)

MEOW_Eco

[location] Ecoregion – Marine Ecoregions of the World (Spalding et al. 2007)

IMCRA_Prov

[location] Province – Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA, 2006)

IMCRA_Bio

[location] Bioregion – Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA, 2006)

AS_System

Aquatic Setting – System. Describes the aquatic setting in terms of freshwater influence.

AS_Subsys

Aquatic Setting – Subsystem. Describes the aquatic setting in terms of geomorphology or depth.

AS_TidalZ

Aquatic Setting – Tidal Zone. Describes the tidal zone.

AS_BDepth

Aquatic Setting – Biotic Depth Zone. Describes the photic zone of the benthos with regard to the biota that are typically able to grow and survive in those conditions.

SC_Level1

Substratum Component – Level 1. Divides substrata based on hardness.

SC_ Level2

Substratum Component – Level 2. Divides substrata based on consolidation and broad grainsize categories.

SC_ Level3

Substratum Component – Level 3. Divides substrata based on grainsize based on Udden-Wentworth standard.

SC_ Level4

Substratum Component – Level 4. Divides substrata into fine-scale grainsize classes according to Udden-Wentworth Standard and Blair and McPherson (1999) classification.

SO_ Level1

Substratum Origin – Level 1

SO_ Level2

Substratum Origin – Level 2

SO_ Level3

Substratum Origin – Level 3

SO_ Level4

Substratum Origin – Level 4

BC_ Level1

Biotic Component – Level 1. Describes the presence or absence of biota.

BC_ Level2

Biotic Component – Level 2. Broad phylogentic groups.

BC_ Level3

Biotic Component – Level 3. Further divisions of broad phylogenetic groups.

BC_ Level4

Biotic Component – Level 4. Broad taxonomic groups.

BC_Species

Biotic Component – Species. Identification of individual species. This may include morphospecies classification where species identification is not possible.

BC_Co_Occ

Biotic Component – Co-Occurring Species. Describes non-dominant biota and/or biota of particular note or importance e.g. threatened or rare species.

Hab_ORIG

Original benthic habitat classification from source dataset(s) (note: where biotic and substratum classification have been derived from different datasets, this attribute contains both classifications)

NAT_HAB_CLS

Seamap Australia National Benthic Habitat Classification – the dominant habitat type assigned for spatial visualisation purposes. This is either a biotic or substratum classification at the finest level of resolution available (down to BC_Level4 or SC_Level4). Where both biotic and substratum information are available for a given polygon, the biotic classification is given priority (for layer styling/visualisation).