Standard Presentation Australian Marine Sciences Association 2026 Conference

Discovering deep-sea invertebrate biodiversity and ecology in the Coral Sea Marine Park (139735)

Sue-Ann Watson 1 , Gemma Galbraith 1 2 , Alison Miller 3 , Michela Mitchell 1 , Tim O’Hara 4 , Christian Pagel 1 , Claire Rowe 3 , Jan Strugnell 1 , Marco Turner 1
  1. College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
  2. AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
  3. Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  4. Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

This presentation will showcase the deep-sea biodiversity and ecology of marine invertebrates of the Coral Sea Marine Park. In October to November 2025, the Research Vessel (RV) Investigator conducted a survey of the benthic marine life from the southern and eastern Coral Sea Marine Park. The area surveyed covered key Marine Park features: the reefs of the Marion Plateau and the Tasmantid Seamount Chain. The expedition provided the first investigation of marine life on the northern Tasmantid Seamount Chain and the offshore Kenn Plateau. This presentation will highlight the first invertebrate faunal findings from the voyage, sampled using a range of gear types including towed cameras, trawls and sleds. New biodiversity information gathered includes the discovery of over 110 new species such as brittlestars, crabs, sea anemones, polychaetes and sponges across a range of habitats. Information on faunal biodiversity, and their associations with each other, will help understand how deep-sea communities vary across ecological zones within the Coral Sea Marine Park, thereby providing a baseline for monitoring species responses over coming decades.