Arafura Marine Park Survey: Backscatter Mosaics for Benthic Habitat Mapping

Backscatter data for the Arafura Marine Park collected by Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science from November 2-15, 2020. The survey aimed to build baseline information for benthic habitats to support a 10-year environmental monitoring plan. Data includes two 32-bit geotiff mosaic files covering the Money Shoal and Pillar Bank areas.

Use Cases

• Map seafloor composition and texture based on backscatter intensity data.
• Establish baseline habitat models for environmental monitoring within the North Marine Park Network.
• Integrate backscatter data with seabed samples and underwater imagery for comprehensive benthic community analysis.

Strengths

• Data collected by authoritative institutions Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
• Covers two distinct survey areas (Money Shoal and Pillar Bank) within the Arafura Marine Park.
• Associated with a detailed, publicly available post-survey report.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset scale are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the specific 2020 survey period.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

Collection Method

Collected via multibeam bathymetry and backscatter from the RV Solander using an EM2040C Dual Head system.

Time Range

November 2-15, 2020.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-17 00:16:48.020152; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Arafura Marine Park (Arafura Sea), specifically Money Shoal and Pillar Bank.