Is there a negative decadal trend in abundance of the weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)? Comment on survey data summarised in Edgar et al. (2023)

Schlögl, E; Booth, DJ

Is there a negative decadal trend in abundance of the weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)? Comment on survey data summarised in Edgar et al. (2023)

Schlögl, E Booth, DJ

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Publisher:: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Australian Zoologist, 2025
Issue Date:: 2025-06-30

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Schlögl, E
dc.contributor.author	Booth, DJ
dc.date.accessioned	2025-07-03T06:47:16Z
dc.date.available	2025-07-03T06:47:16Z
dc.date.issued	2025-06-30
dc.identifier.citation	Australian Zoologist, 2025
dc.identifier.issn	0067-2238
dc.identifier.issn	2204-2105
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188074
dc.description.abstract	<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title> <jats:p>Decadal changes in abundance of marine organisms along the Australian coastline were reported in a recent Nature paper by Edgar et al. (2023). We reexamine the data used in that paper, and show that the conclusion of a 59% decline in weedy seadragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) cannot be justified based on these data. The data are too sparse, especially for the final survey years of 2020 and 2021, and it is this sparsity in combination with particular modelling choices made by Edgar et al. (2023) that drives their results. While not specifically considered here, it is likely that these issues also affect the results on other rare or cryptic species reported in Edgar et al. (2023).</jats:p>
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
dc.relation.ispartof	Australian Zoologist
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.7882/az.2025.024
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	0602 Ecology, 0608 Zoology
dc.subject.classification	Ecology
dc.subject.classification	3103 Ecology
dc.subject.classification	3109 Zoology
dc.title	Is there a negative decadal trend in abundance of the weedy seadragon (<i>Phyllopteryx taeniolatus</i>)? Comment on survey data summarised in Edgar <i>et al</i>. (2023)
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	0602 Ecology
utslib.for	0608 Zoology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2025-07-03T06:47:15Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

ABSTRACT Decadal changes in abundance of marine organisms along the Australian coastline were reported in a recent Nature paper by Edgar et al. (2023). We reexamine the data used in that paper, and show that the conclusion of a 59% decline in weedy seadragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) cannot be justified based on these data. The data are too sparse, especially for the final survey years of 2020 and 2021, and it is this sparsity in combination with particular modelling choices made by Edgar et al. (2023) that drives their results. While not specifically considered here, it is likely that these issues also affect the results on other rare or cryptic species reported in Edgar et al. (2023).

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188074

Is there a negative decadal trend in abundance of the weedy seadragon (<i>Phyllopteryx taeniolatus</i>)? Comment on survey data summarised in Edgar <i>et al</i>. (2023)