Seabird observations from ships either performing marine science work or taking personnel and cargo to various Antarctic stations. Incidental observations of whales and seals are also noted. This set also contains data from the BIOMASS cruises in the 1980's.

There is an increasing demand for integrated pelagic surveys to support ecosystem-based management of marine environments and their associated marine life. The Browse Basin in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean was surveyed using ship line transects to determine habitat associations of cetaceans and seabirds with submarine topography and local oceanographic conditions during winter and spring 2008. Fourteen species of cetaceans, including the data deficient pygmy blue whale, and 23 species of seabirds were encountered throughout the basin. Aggregations of both cetaceans and seabirds were observed at two significant submarine topographic features, Scott Reef and Browse Cliffs, particularly during spring when encounters and abundances of odontocetes were far greater. The attraction of cetaceans and seabirds to Scott Reef and Browse Cliffs was likely foraging-related given these features were associated with upwelling and elevated biomass of krill and fish. Submesoscale sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a fronts also occurred in vicinity to Browse Cliffs and the shelf environment. The Browse Basin is an important, and potentially predictable, foraging ground for a variety of top predators, and their occurrence would have implications for the current and future management practices of oil and gas industries operating in the region Taxa have been matched to the World Register of Marine Species. The observation data is the mid-period of each of the 4 surveys. The cited paper lists the details of the surveys and the methodology used.

In 1989, field studies of reef corals were undertaken at sixteen stations around Cocos (Keeling) Atoll, Horsburgh Island and North Keeling Island. Stations were selected to encompass the widest possible range of habitats. Coral collections were made at these stations and the specimens were sent to the Australian Institute of Marine Science for further study. Comparisons were also made with corals from other geographic regions and Cocos (Keeling) Islands corals held in other museums. These specimens would later be lodged with the Western Australian Museum. Ninety nine species of reef corals are recorded from Cocos (Keeling) Atoll in the eastern Indian Ocean. Of this all but twelve are known from Western Australia. Nine species have not previously recorded from the eastern Indian Ocean and three (one being taxonomically doubtful) have not previously been recorded anywhere. Taxa have been matched to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Data used was downloaded from ALA https://collections.ala.org.au/public/show/dr698 July 2018.