Australian Tropical Reef Boundaries for 23,805 Features (NESP MaC 3.17)

A 2026 dataset from the Australian Ocean Data Network provides the first national-scale mapping of tropical reef boundaries. It contains 23,805 mapped features, including coral reefs, rocky reefs, and sand banks across tropical Australian waters. The dataset integrates regional mapping efforts and includes bathymetry statistics and sovereignty attributes.

Use Cases

• National environmental accounting based on standardized reef boundary data.
• Marine park planning using the classified reef boundaries and sovereignty attributes.
• Identifying important marine habitats for environmental impact assessments based on the comprehensive spatial coverage.
• Creating reef maps for scientific and traditional owner use based on the integrated shapefile.

Strengths

• Contains 23,805 mapped reef features, providing broad spatial coverage.
• Integrates multiple regional datasets into a single national-scale resource.
• Includes bathymetry statistics (10th, 50th, 90th percentile) calculated relative to Mean Sea Level and Lowest Astronomical Tide.
• Features are classified and cross-walked to standard schemes like the Natural Values Common Language.

Limitations

• Mapping accuracy varies; features in the Great Barrier Reef have typical boundary errors of approximately 300 m, with some exceeding 1 km.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, integrating datasets from regions like the Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait, and Northern/Western Australia.

Collection Method

Integration and correction of existing regional coral reef mapping datasets, with bathymetry derived from composite surfaces.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-05 04:54:25.635692; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Tropical Australia, covering the Indian Ocean, Timor Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria, Torres Strait, Great Barrier Reef, and the Coral Sea.