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Field Research Dataset 2024–2026

The
Data

312 Specimens · 200m Depth · CCR Diving · New Species

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Overview

What the twilight zone
tells us

200m Maximum depth reached
312 Individual specimens logged
48hrs Continuous footage
6 New behavioural phenotypes

The Atolla dataset documents mesophotic reef ecosystems across the Indo-Pacific twilight zone. Across 18 expedition dives between 2024 and 2026, the team logged gorgonian octocoral communities, candidate new species, and habitat data at depths from 30m to 200m using closed-circuit rebreather (CCR) diving.

All data is collected under a Creative Commons licence and will be made publicly available through the Open Ocean Data Portal in Q2 2026. Researchers seeking early access for peer review or collaboration should contact the team directly.

Sighting Density by Depth Band

18 Dives · Mesophotic Zone · 30–200m

30m
50m
75m
100m
125m
150m
175m
200m
What We Collected

Dataset
Categories

01
Video
Expedition Imagery
High-definition underwater photography and video from CCR dive surveys. Documents gorgonian colonies, habitat structure, and candidate new species at mesophotic depths.
2,840 images & clips
02
eDNA
Environmental DNA Samples
Water column filtration at 12 study sites across mesophotic field sites in the Indo-Pacific. Identifies species presence and complements physical specimen records through genetic sequencing.
480 water samples
03
Specimens
Gorgonian Collections
Preserved gorgonian specimens collected under permit during CCR dives. Each voucher supports formal species description, molecular analysis, and museum lodgement.
312 voucher specimens
04
Survey
Dive Transects
Standardised belt transects and roving diver surveys recording gorgonian density, colony size, and depth distribution. Core method for abundance and diversity assessment.
94 survey transects
05
Environmental
Oceanographic Conditions
Temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and visibility logged across all 18 dives. Enables correlation of species distribution with depth and oceanographic conditions at each site.
18 complete dive logs
Methods & Processing

Data Collection
& Methods

CCR Diving
  • CCR (rebreather) diving to 200m
  • In-situ specimen documentation
  • Phylogenomic sampling
  • 4K underwater video
  • GPS dive tracking
  • Environmental data logging
Field Operations
  • Multi-site dive teams
  • Multi-day field operations
  • Specimen collection & curation
  • Habitat photography transects
  • eDNA water sampling
  • Site mapping & GPS logging
Vessel Operations
  • Local research vessels
  • 18 full expedition dives
  • Multiple Indo-Pacific sites
  • 12 eDNA study sites
  • CCR safety protocols standard
  • International collaborator dives
Image Analysis
  • CPCE & CoralNet image analysis
  • Colony-level morphological scoring
  • Independent diver cross-checking
  • Inter-observer agreement >90%
  • Standardised gorgonian ID protocol
  • Photographic voucher archive
Phylogenomics
  • MEGA / IQ-TREE phylogenetic pipeline
  • Bayesian species delimitation
  • Multi-gene marker approach
  • 400–700nm emission mapping
  • Morphological character coding
  • Integrated with voucher specimens
eDNA Processing
  • Illumina MiSeq sequencing
  • 12S & COI marker genes
  • NCBI BLAST species matching
  • Occupancy modelling (R)
  • Field blanks & controls included
  • Raw FASTQ files archived
Licence
  • Creative Commons CC BY 4.0
  • Free for academic use
  • Attribution required
  • Commercial use — contact us
  • Full DOI on release
Format & Size
  • Video — MP4 / H.264, ~2.4TB
  • Ethograms — CSV / JSON
  • Spectral — MATLAB / CSV
  • eDNA — FASTQ + processed OTU
  • Oceanographic — NetCDF
Release Timeline
  • Early access — on request now
  • Open release — Q2 2026
  • Portal — Open Ocean Data Portal
  • Zenodo mirror (on release)
  • GBIF submission (eDNA)
Open Science

Access the Full
Expedition Dataset

The complete Atolla dataset — expedition imagery, eDNA sequences, specimen records, and dive transect data — will be released to the global research community in Q2 2026 through the Open Ocean Data Portal.

Researchers seeking early access for peer review or active collaboration should contact Dr Rowley directly.

Request Early Access
Available on Release
Imagery Archive
atolla-expedition-imagery-2024-26
JPEG / MP4 · 2,840 files · CC BY 4.0
Transect Surveys
atolla-expedition-transects-2024-26
CSV / JSON · 94 transects · 312 specimens
eDNA & Oceanographic
atolla-expedition-edna-ctd-2024-26
FASTQ + NetCDF · 480 samples · 18 dives
Specimen Records
atolla-expedition-specimens-2024-26
Morphological + genetic data · 312 vouchers