Kingdoms detected
7
Number of ASVs
17820
Families detected
381
Species detected
517
Report on site ‘High Seas’
What is this?
Map showing sampling locations as part of the 2024 Pacific Rally.
Map Tiles via Esri — National Geographic, Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, UNEP-WCMC, USGS, NASA, ESA, METI, NRCAN, GEBCO, NOAA, iPC.
What is this?
We display every species we detected here, sorted by IUCN Red List status. The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are intended to be an easily and widely understood system for classifying species at high risk of global extinction. DD: Data deficient. LC: Least Concern. VU: Vulnerable. EN: Endangered. CR: Critically endangered.
Click on the image to open the relevant Atlas of Living Australia page.
From these samples we detected no species listed on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered, no as Endangered, no as Vulnerable, no as Near Threatened, one as Data Deficient, 13 as Least Concern, and 401 species that have not yet been assessed by the IUCN.
IUCN Data Deficient species
IUCN Least Concern species
Not pictured: Encrasicholina punctifer, Triphoturus nigrescens, Bolinichthys longipes, Bolinichthys distofax.
Species not assessed by IUCN
Not pictured: Alteromonas, Oithona similis, Diphyes dispar, Prochlorococcus MIT9313 marinus, Mecynocera clausi, Abylopsis eschscholtzii, Rhabdonella poculum, Acartia negligens, Photobacterium leiognathi, Vibrio, Photobacterium, Fabibacter misakiensis, Idiomarina, Alcanivorax venustensis, Eutintinnus fraknoi, Photobacterium angustum, Pseudoalteromonas, Eutintinnus perminutus, Calocalanus plumulosus, Gilvibacter sediminis, Pseudoalteromonas phenolica, Paracalanus nanus, Calocalanus curtus, Nanomia bijuga, Spirotontonia grandis, Pontellina plumata, Vibrio sagamiensis, Trichodesmium IMS101 erythraeum, Marinobacter, Richelia HH01 intracellularis, Marinomonas communis, Alcanivorax borkumensis, Clausocalanus furcatus, Chromohalobacter, Eutintinnus medius, Trichodesmium IMS101 thiebautii, Halomonas, Streptococcus, Granulicatella, Acrocalanus monachus, Paracalanus tropicus, Idiomarina loihiensis, Henriciella marina, Lentisphaera, Clausocalanus paululus, Calocalanus minutus, Ptychopera plebeia, Calocalanus styliremis, Clausocalanus pergens, Lucicutia flavicornis, Euchaeta marina, Planktotalea frisia, Chloropicon sieburthii, Gephyrocapsa parvula, Halioglobus pacificus, Heliconoides inflatus, Clausocalanus arcuicornis, Chloroparvula pacifica, Haloptilus longicornis, Zoothamnium pelagicum, Phaeocystis globosa, Iridona iridescens, Atelocyanobacterium (UCYN-A) thalassa, Centropages furcatus, Temora discaudata, Vibrio azureus, Oncaea waldemari, Macrosetella gracilis, Acrocalanus gracilis, Lentilitoribacter donghaensis, Miracia efferata, Chloroparvula japonica, Pelagibius litoralis, Euphausia vallentini, Labrenzia marina, Chloropicon roscoffensis, Trichodesmium IMS101 havanum, Paracalanus indicus, Copilia mirabilis, Pseudoalteromonas marina, Doliolum nationalis, Thalassotalea coralli, Brevibacterium, Staphylococcus, Sphaeronectes koellikeri, Oncaea scottodicarloi, Amphorellopsis quinquealata, Pseudomonas, Grimontia indica, Thalia democratica, Tachidius triangularis, Tenacibaculum litopenaei, Stenotrophomonas, Micromonas pusilla, Chloropicon mariensis, Hortaea werneckii, Loxomitra tetraorganon, Eutintinnus apertus, Shimia, Acrocalanus longicornis, Farranula gibbula, Scolecithricella longispinosa, Labrenzia alexandrii, Endozoicomonas atrinae, Corynebacterium, Brevundimonas, Crocosphaera watsonii, Sphingobacterium faecium, Janthinobacterium lividum, Acinetobacter, Psychrobacter celer, Aureitalea marina, Agrobacterium, Pseudochrobactrum kiredjianiae, Kaistia, Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea, Sphingobacterium, Psychrobacter marincola, Alcanivorax marinus, Halomonas meridiana, Cosmocalanus darwinii, Steenstrupiella steenstrupii, Oikopleura fusiformis, Clausocalanus ingens, Umbilicosphaera sibogae, Marinobacter manganoxydans, Algicola bacteriolytica, Alteromonas australica, Syracosphaera pulchra, Erythrobacter, Methylobacterium, Sapphirina scarlata, Sphingobium, Lensia campanella, Psychrobacter, Prymnesium polylepis, Sanguibacter, Shimia marina, Erwinia, Brachybacterium tyrofermentans, Erwinia piriflorinigrans, Pseudoclavibacter, Novosphingobium, Erwinia rhapontici, Brevibacterium yomogidense, Leucobacter luti, Sphingobium japonicum, Agromyces atrinae, Microbacterium, Martelella endophytica, Hypocoma acinetarum, Prasinoderma singulare, Phaeocystis cordata, Vibrio caribbeanicus, Mesonia mobilis, Alteromonas macleodii, Sinistrostrombidium cupiformum, Parallelostrombidium conicum, Pseudo-nitzschia sabit, Muricauda, Vibrio harveyi, Lynnella semiglobulosa, Candacia truncata, Candacia bispinosa, Pleuromamma scutullata, Halomonas taeanensis, Maricaulis, Euchaeta rimana, Thalassospira, Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Salinisphaera japonica, Leuconostoc, Geryonia proboscidalis, Rahnella aquatilis, Janthinobacterium, Pleuromamma abdominalis, Pseudomonas lurida, Chaetoceros peruvianus, Plantibacter, Duganella zoogloeoides, Scyphosphaera apsteinii, Nanozoanthus harenaceus, Cobetia, Ctenocalanus vanus, Photobacterium damselae, Tenacibaculum, Lactococcus, Halomonas aquamarina, Ferosagitta robusta, Euplotes nobilii, Pontella fera, Centropages violaceus, Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata, Vibrio coralliilyticus, Novosphingobium humi, Firoloida desmarestia, Oncaea media, Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus, Emiliania huxleyi, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Strombidium cf. basimorphum, Thalassolituus oleivorans, Penicillium citrinum, Corynebacterium minutissimum, Vibrio splendidus, Chromohalobacter canadensis, Gemella, Paracalanus aff. denudatus PA0058.GOA, Salpingacantha undata, Xystonella longicauda, Oikopleura gracilis, Alteromonas genovensis, Alteromonas hispanica, Dokdonia genika, Vibrio chagasii, Forskalia tholoides, Clausocalanus parapergens, Sphingopyxis panaciterrae, Vampyrophrya pelagica, Hyalophysa lwoffi, Corynebacterium accolens, Shewanella, Colwellia meonggei, Pneumoderma atlantica, Styliola subula, Pseudoalteromonas citrea, Curtobacterium, Triconia conifera, Enhydrobacter aerosaccus, Cutibacterium, Vibrio diabolicus, Kocuria, Chryseobacterium hominis, Aidanosagitta regularis, Ruegeria atlantica, Hyphomonas adhaerens, Prymnesium aff. polylepis, Pantoea, Paracalanus aff. denudatus PA0053.MED, Pachos punctatum, Polyophthalmus pictus, Aquabacterium parvum, Sphingobium yanoikuyae, Pseudo-nitzschia abrensis, Acinetobacter johnsonii, Aerococcus, Clausocalanus mastigophorus, Actinomyces naeslundii, Candacia ethiopica, Sphingomonas panni, Oncaea mediterranea, Paracalanus denudatus, Gephyrocapsa oceanica, Polaribacter dokdonensis, Clausocalanus jobei, Cupriavidus, Tepidicella xavieri, Oikopleura albicans, Candacia bipinnata, Acanthamoeba castellanii, Rhodococcus aerolatus, Salinicola salarius, Nisaea nitritireducens, Psychrobacter namhaensis, Micrococcus, Haemophilus, Sphingomonas, Gordonia, Turicella otitidis, Dietzia, Paracoccus, Labidocera detruncata, Forskalia asymmetrica, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Parengyodontium album, Pleuromamma gracilis, Thalia longicauda, Pseudomonas pachastrellae, Salinisphaera, Oleibacter marinus, Heterorhabdus papilliger, Trichodesmium IMS101 contortum, Megalocercus huxleyi, Corynebacterium pilbarense, Oithona attenuata, Cupriavidus metallidurans, Acinetobacter guillouiae, Sulfitobacter pontiacus, Canuella perplexa, Pectinaria granulata, Pterocirrus montereyensis, Pseudodiaptomus nihonkaiensis, Chelophyes appendiculata, Aliivibrio, Ryocalanus squamatus, Calanoides carinatus, Fangia hongkongensis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Caulobacter, Protocystis xiphodon, Roseateles depolymerans, Rhodococcus, Alteromonas litorea, Neisseria, Lautropia mirabilis, Oceanicaulis stylophorae, Clausocalanus minor, Vibrio penaeicida, Chaetoceros rostratus, Vibrio fortis, Mycobacterium, Pisum sativum, Sphingomonas melonis, Vicia villosa, Allium cepa, Hubrechtella juliae, Mesodinium rubrum, Carnobacterium, Euphausia mutica, Tropicibacter phthalicicus, Clausocalanus farrani, Marinococcus, Abiotrophia defectiva, Mameliella alba, Actinomyces, Chaetoceros elegans, Apiospora arundinis, Bradyrhizobium, Metarhizium brunneum, Pinus contorta, Dolosigranulum pigrum, Hyalocylis striata, Leucothea multicornis, Oikopleura parva, Salpingacantha unguiculata, Mesocalanus tenuicornis, Chaetoceros mannaii, Climacocylis scalaroides, Mesorhizobium, Salinicola zeshunii, Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii, Paracoccus oceanense, Pseudoalteromonas ruthenica, Vibrio campbellii, Pterosperma cristatum, Pseudovibrio ascidiaceicola, Peracle reticulata, Creseis conica, Marinomonas gallaica, Marinomonas atlantica, Pseudoalteromonas carrageenovora, Canthocalanus pauper, Salinicola, Shewanella schlegeliana, Shewanella olleyana, Vibrio gigantis, Helicosphaera carteri, Achromobacter, Cyberlindnera sargentensis, Psychrobacter piscatorii, Leucobacter, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Glutamicibacter, Brachybacterium, Enterobacter, Hanseniaspora opuntiae, Klebsiella, Flavobacterium, Lactococcus piscium, Herminiimonas, Sulfitobacter dubius, Geotrichum candidum, Thalassotalea loyana.
Images have been sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
What is this?
We compare pieces of DNA sampled from the environment with a reference database. This table lists every species we detected, along with how closely the DNA we found matches known species in the reference database. For each species we list the IUCN Red List status. The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are intended to be an easily and widely understood system for classifying species at high risk of global extinction. DD: Data deficient. LC: Least Concern. VU: Vulnerable. EN: Endangered. CR: Critically endangered.
What is this?
Explore the types of organisms found in these samples. This interactive chart (Krona plot) lets you see which groups were most common — from broad categories like bacteria and animalia down to families and species of fishes. Click on individual segments to zoom in.
Krona Plot
What is this?
Below are alpha diversity metrices plotted for all samples taken within this area.
What is this?
We asked an AI (Claude’s Anthropic 3.7) which species it thinks are the most interesting detected in this site, and why they are interesting. We reproduce the answer below. We ask Claude only for validated species, i.e., species that are known to occur in the area.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus This bacterium is a major cause of seafood-related food poisoning worldwide. Found naturally in warm coastal waters, it contaminates shellfish like oysters and shrimp, causing severe gastroenteritis in humans who consume undercooked or raw contaminated seafood. With increasing ocean temperatures due to climate change, Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections are becoming more common and spreading to previously unaffected regions, making it a growing public health concern.
Vibrio cholerae (represented by Vibrio genus) While not specifically identified, the Vibrio genus includes the infamous cholera bacterium that has caused devastating pandemics throughout human history. Cholera spreads through contaminated water and causes severe dehydration that can be fatal without treatment. Although largely controlled in developed countries, cholera remains a threat in areas with poor sanitation and continues to cause outbreaks during natural disasters or humanitarian crises.
Trichodesmium species These microscopic marine cyanobacteria are crucial players in ocean health and global climate regulation. They form visible reddish-brown blooms across tropical oceans and are among the few organisms that can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, making this essential nutrient available to other marine life. Their photosynthesis also produces oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide, helping regulate Earth’s climate. However, climate change may be altering their distribution and abundance, potentially affecting ocean productivity.
Emiliania huxleyi This tiny single-celled marine alga is one of the most abundant organisms on Earth and plays a massive role in global climate. It forms spectacular blooms visible from space and produces calcium carbonate plates that eventually sink to the ocean floor, storing carbon for thousands of years. This process helps regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The organism is also economically important as its ancient deposits formed much of the white chalk cliffs found around the world, including England’s famous White Cliffs of Dover.
Prochlorococcus marinus Despite being invisible to the naked eye, this marine bacterium is arguably one of the most important organisms on Earth. It’s the most abundant photosynthetic organism in the oceans and produces about 10% of all oxygen we breathe. These microscopic powerhouses form the base of many marine food webs and play a crucial role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Their abundance and global distribution make them essential for maintaining ocean productivity and global climate stability.
Pseudo-nitzschia species These microscopic marine algae can produce domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans. When these algae bloom, they contaminate shellfish and fish, making seafood dangerous to consume. The toxin can cause severe neurological symptoms including memory loss, seizures, and even death. These harmful algal blooms appear to be increasing with climate change and ocean pollution, posing growing risks to both human health and marine ecosystems.
Chaetoceros species These abundant marine diatoms are fundamental to ocean food webs and global carbon cycling. Their photosynthesis produces significant amounts of oxygen while absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They serve as primary food sources for many marine animals, from tiny zooplankton to fish larvae. Their glass-like shells accumulate on the ocean floor over millions of years, forming diatomaceous earth deposits that have commercial uses in filtration and other industries.
Phaeocystis globosa This marine alga can form massive blooms that significantly impact marine ecosystems and human activities. While it contributes to ocean productivity and carbon storage, its blooms can produce foam that washes ashore, affecting beaches and tourism. The organism also produces chemicals that can affect the marine food web and may contribute to climate regulation through cloud formation over oceans.
Oikopleura dioica This small, tadpole-like marine organism is remarkable for building complex mucus “houses” that filter tiny particles from seawater. These transparent creatures are abundant in marine plankton and play important roles in ocean food webs and carbon cycling. They’re also valuable for scientific research as they share evolutionary characteristics with vertebrates, helping scientists understand early animal evolution and development.
Stenella attenuata (Pantropical Spotted Dolphin) This intelligent marine mammal is found in warm oceans worldwide and serves as an important indicator of ocean health. Unfortunately, these dolphins were severely impacted by tuna fishing operations, leading to major changes in fishing practices and the development of “dolphin-safe” tuna standards. Their populations and health reflect the overall condition of marine ecosystems and the impacts of human activities on ocean life.
Katsuwonus pelamis (Skipjack Tuna) This commercially important fish species supports one of the world’s largest fisheries, providing protein for millions of people globally. Skipjack tuna are the primary species used in canned tuna products and are crucial for food security in many Pacific island nations. As a fast-swimming predator, they help maintain balance in marine ecosystems, though their populations face pressure from intensive fishing and climate change affecting their ocean habitat.
Salmo trutta (Brown Trout) This popular sport and food fish is important both ecologically and economically. Native to Europe and Asia, brown trout have been introduced worldwide and support recreational fishing industries worth billions of dollars. They serve as indicators of freshwater ecosystem health, as they require clean, well-oxygenated water to survive. Their presence in marine samples suggests they were likely in their sea-run form, demonstrating the connectivity between freshwater and marine environments.
Homo sapiens The presence of human DNA in marine samples highlights our species’ profound impact on ocean environments. This could indicate human activities in the sampled areas, pollution from human sources, or contamination during sample collection. Humans are the primary drivers of changes in marine ecosystems through fishing, pollution, coastal development, and climate change, making our species paradoxically both dependent on healthy oceans and their greatest threat.
What is this?
Samples in which Harmful Algal Bloom species or Non-Indigenous Species were detected. List of HABs/NIS species provided