This dataset presents an oceanographic regionalisation for the Australian region using a multivariate pattern classification system, constructed as part of the CSIRO Bioregionalisation Project. The oceanographic regionalisation comprises an analysis of temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, nitrate, phosphate and silicate variability with season and depth. Data sources include research vessels, satellites, and surface drifters, and in particular the archive of vertical profiles of temperature, salinity, oxygen and nutrients comprising over 130,000 stations in the seas adjacent to Australia collected as part of the Division of Oceanography's Oceans-EEZ Analysis System.

The National Oceans Office undertook in September 2001 an analysis of Bioregionalisation for the Australian South-east Marine Region, an integration of geological, oceanographic and biological data as the basis for bioregionalisation. The biological and physical assessment was intended to contribute to the implementation of ecosystem-based management in the South-east Marine Region by developing a shared understanding of the ecosystem. The assessment had two streams, ecosystem structure and ecosystem function and incorporated the input from these projects among others: - Production of a consistent, high quality bathymetric data grid for the south-east marine region. - Seabed characterisation including geomorphology, acoustic facies and seabed sampling (GA) - Computer sediment modelling (GEOMAT) - Refine Broad Scale Bioregionalisation (Provinces and Biomes) (CSIRO) - Upgrade deepwater nutrient, water properties and ocean current models (CSIRO) - Rapid assembly of ecological fish data (CSIRO Marine Research in collaboration with Australian Museum, Victoria Museum and NSW Fisheries) - Rapid assembly of ecological invertebrate data (Museum Victoria in partnership with Australia Museum and CSIRO Marine Research) - Bioregionalisation analysis for the South-east Marine Region (CSIRO Marine Research and Australian Geological Survey Organisation [GA]) This dataset contains the spatial distribution of the physical and biological components of the Region resulting from bioregionalisation analysis for the South-east Marine Region. Further detail will be available in the report entitled "An Interim, Draft bioregionalisation for the continental slope and deeper waters of the South-East Marine Region of Australia" by A. Butler, P. Harris et al. (draft only available at time of this metadata compilation).

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) version 7.1 represents a landscape based approach to classifying the land surface of Australia. 89 biogeographic regions and 419 subregions have been delineated, each reflecting a unifying set of major environmental influences which shape the occurrence of flora and fauna and their interaction with the physical environment across Australia and its external territories (excluding Antarctica). IBRA Version 7.1 data consists of two datasets. IBRA regions, which is a larger scale regional classification of homogeneous ecosystems, and subregions, which are more localised. IBRA Version 7.1 is a minor update to IBRA Version 7.0 to coincide with the release of the CAPAD 2024 dataset to more closely conform to the Geoscience Australia (GA) Australia’s Land Borders (see https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/140044). IBRA Version 7.0 regions and subregions are realigned to the updated GA jurisdiction borders in some locations. For example, the Victorian Riverina subregion runs along the NSW-Vic border, the border in this area is updated to better align with the river. IBRA Version 7.1 restores the South Bruny land mass portion of Bruny Island (Tas) back to the Southern Ranges region Southern Ranges subregion to which it was assigned in IBRA Version 6.1. The whole of Bruny Island was incorrectly assigned to the South East region and Tasmanian South East subregion in IBRA Version 7. IBRA Version 7.1, aligns Ball’s Pyramid (south of Lord Howe Island) to other coastal data sources.

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) version 7.1 represents a landscape based approach to classifying the land surface of Australia. 89 biogeographic regions and 419 subregions have been delineated, each reflecting a unifying set of major environmental influences which shape the occurrence of flora and fauna and their interaction with the physical environment across Australia and its external territories (excluding Antarctica). IBRA Version 7.1 data consists of two datasets. IBRA regions, which is a larger scale regional classification of homogeneous ecosystems, and subregions, which are more localised. IBRA Version 7.1 is a minor update to IBRA Version 7.0 to coincide with the release of the CAPAD 2024 dataset to more closely conform to the Geoscience Australia (GA) Australia’s Land Borders (see https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/140044). IBRA Version 7.0 regions and subregions are realigned to the updated GA jurisdiction borders in some locations. For example, the Victorian Riverina subregion runs along the NSW-Vic border, the border in this area is updated to better align with the river. IBRA Version 7.1 restores the South Bruny land mass portion of Bruny Island (Tas) back to the Southern Ranges region Southern Ranges subregion to which it was assigned in IBRA Version 6.1. The whole of Bruny Island was incorrectly assigned to the South East region and Tasmanian South East subregion in IBRA Version 7. IBRA Version 7.1, aligns Ball’s Pyramid (south of Lord Howe Island) to other coastal data sources.

Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) version 6.1 represents a landscape based approach to classifying the land surface of Australia. 85 biogeographic regions and 405 sub regions have been delineated, each reflecting a unifying set of major environmental influences which shape the occurrence of flora and fauna and their interaction with the physical environment across Australia.The IBRA Version 6.1 data consists of two datasets. IBRA bioregions, which is a larger scale regional classification of homogenous ecosystems, and sub regions, which are more localised.IBRA Version 6.1 is the result of refinement of the IBRA Version 5.1 and version 6.0 boundaries due to better data availability amongst some states and territories and also based on alterations by the states/territories along the state borders. The refined boundaries were jointly defined by the Commonwealth, State and Territory nature and conservation agencies. Those jurisdictions to refine their data in this version of IBRA include New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. There are 53 newly named sub regions and 5 have been renamed from version 5.1. Whilst there has been a refinement of sub-regional and associated bioregional boundaries in Qld, Vic and western NSW, the new sub-regions are found principally in eastern NSW. In WA changes relate to moving the western boundary of Yalgoo bioregion to the coast, truncating the northern portion of the Geraldton Sandplains bioregion.Nominal attributes that make up IBRA are: climate, lithology/geology, landform, vegetation, flora and fauna, and landuse. The use of these attributes varies across the jurisdictions and for further information individual jurisdictions should be contacted.