AUSTRALIA—GERMANY WORKSHOP ON BIODIVERSITY

The Shine Dome, 13-17 March 2006

Dampier Archipelago — down under ‘Down Under’
by Dr Diana S Jones, Acting Executive Director, Collection and Content Development, Western Australia Museum

The Western Australia Museum/Woodside partnership (1998-2003) explored the marine environments of the Dampier Archipelago in the north-west of Western Australia. A substantial research element (one dredging expedition, two diving expeditions and an international workshop) was associated with the project and the information acquired has been made widely available to diverse audiences. The resulting Woodside Collection (more than 4,500 identified species) is the first major collection in the north-eastern Indian Ocean and presents opportunities for years of further study. There are also numerous new species being described. The present total number of species signals that the Dampier Archipelago is the richest area, in terms of marine biodiversity, in Western Australia and is comparable with the rich biodiversity found in northern Queensland.