Benthic Sediment Surveys of Darwin and Bynoe Harbours (2017)

A 2017 survey collected 285 seabed sediment samples from inner Darwin Harbour and shallow water areas in and around Bynoe Harbour. The project was led by the Northern Territory Government and involved Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, funded by the INPEX-led Ichthys LNG Project. The data, including sediment samples and seagrass observations, is intended for creating baseline habitat maps to support marine resource management.

Use Cases

• Modeling seabed habitat types based on sediment grain size and composition data.
• Analyzing spatial distribution of inorganic elements and organic matter in marine sediments.
• Integrating seagrass observation data into regional environmental databases for conservation planning.
• Creating interpolated maps of abiotic parameters to underpin marine resource management decisions.

Strengths

• Includes 285 precisely located seabed sediment samples.
• Data is part of a defined four-year (2014-2018) science program aimed at creating thematic habitat maps.
• Project involves collaboration between government agencies (Geoscience Australia, AIMS, NT Government) and industry funding.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count for observational data (e.g., seagrass) is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Primary data files are in PDF, HTML, and DOCX formats, which may require extraction for analysis.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Northern Territory Government Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Collection Method

Benthic sediment sampling surveys, with samples designated for grain size, inorganic elemental, and organic matter analyses.

Time Range

Survey conducted from 29 May to 16 August 2017.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 02:02:48.946305; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Inner Darwin Harbour and shallow water areas in and around Bynoe Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia.