Beagle Marine Park Seafloor Backscatter Grids at 1-Meter Resolution

Multibeam sonar backscatter data for Beagle Marine Park in Bass Strait, collected by Geoscience Australia and the University of Tasmania from 17–26 June 2018. The dataset comprises 11 backscatter grids at 1-meter spatial resolution, covering a combined area of 364 square kilometers. This survey was funded by the National Environmental Science Program Marine Biodiversity Hub to establish baseline information for the park's 10-year management plan.

Use Cases

• Map seafloor hardness and texture based on multibeam sonar backscatter data.
• Establish baseline habitat models for environmental monitoring within the South-east Marine Park Network.
• Support benthic habitat classification using high-resolution (1 m) geospatial grids.
• Integrate with complementary datasets from the survey's Phase 2 (imagery) and Phase 3 (video) for holistic habitat analysis.

Strengths

• High spatial resolution of 1 meter for detailed seafloor analysis.
• Covers a defined area of 364 square kilometers within a marine protected area.
• Data collection is documented in a detailed 2019 post-survey report.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for certain analytical methods.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies (University of Tasmania).

Collection Method

Collected via multibeam sonar from the RV Bluefin during a dedicated survey voyage.

Time Range

17–26 June 2018.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 07:07:38.847563; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Beagle Marine Park, Bass Strait, Australia.