Arafura Marine Park Backscatter Mosaics from 2020 Survey

Two 32-bit geotiff files contain backscatter mosaics for Money Shoal and Pillar Bank areas in the Arafura Sea. Data was collected from November 2-15, 2020 by Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science using an EM2040C Dual Head multibeam system. This baseline information supports benthic habitat monitoring for the North Marine Park Network's 10-year management plan.

Use Cases

• Analyze backscatter mosaic geotiffs to characterize seabed texture and composition for benthic habitat mapping.
• Integrate backscatter data with multibeam bathymetry from the same survey for comprehensive seafloor classification.
• Use the backscatter mosaics from Money Shoal and Pillar Bank as baseline layers for environmental change detection over the 2018-2028 management period.

Strengths

• Data provides high-resolution backscatter mosaics from a modern EM2040C Dual Head multibeam system.
• Covers two distinct survey areas (Money Shoal and Pillar Bank) within the Arafura Marine Park.
• Processed using specialized CMST-GA MB Process software co-developed by Curtin University and Geoscience Australia.
• Associated with a detailed 2021 post-survey report documenting methodology and findings.

Limitations

• Dataset scope is limited to two backscatter mosaic files without accompanying raw swath or sample data.
• Spatial coverage is restricted to two specific areas, not the entire Arafura Marine Park.
• Temporal coverage is a single snapshot from November 2020, limiting time-series analysis.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

Collection Method

Multibeam backscatter data collected via RV Solander using an EM2040C Dual Head system, processed into mosaics with CMST-GA MB Process toolbox.

Time Range

November 2-15, 2020.

Freshness

Data reflects conditions from 2020, with metadata last updated in March 2026.

Geography

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