Arafura Marine Park Bathymetry Survey: 6m Resolution Geotiff (2020)

A 6 m resolution 32-bit geotiff bathymetry dataset for Arafura Marine Park, collected from 2–15 November 2020. The survey was a collaborative project by Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, funded by the National Environmental Science Program Marine Biodiversity Hub. Data acquisition included multibeam bathymetry and backscatter for Money Shoal and Pillar Bank, seabed samples, and underwater imagery.

Use Cases

• Modeling benthic habitat distribution based on high-resolution bathymetry and backscatter data.
• Establishing environmental baselines for the 10-year management plan (2018-2028) mentioned in the description.
• Analyzing seabed composition and demersal fish communities using integrated seabed samples and underwater imagery.
• Creating detailed seafloor maps for marine park management and conservation planning.

Strengths

• High-resolution 6 m bathymetry grid produced from processed EM2040C Dual Head system data.
• Data integrates multiple sources: multibeam bathymetry, backscatter, seabed samples, and underwater imagery.
• Survey is documented by a detailed 2021 post-survey report authored by multiple experts.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Collected via RV Solander using multibeam bathymetry and backscatter systems, seabed sampling, and underwater imagery.

Time Range

2 – 15 November 2020

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 06:35:21.879769; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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