GA0358/GA0359: Benthic Sediment Grain Size in Darwin and Bynoe Harbours

Between May 29 and June 19, 2017, benthic sediment sampling was conducted in inner Darwin Harbour and shallow water areas around Bynoe Harbour. The dataset comprises grain size measurements on seabed sediments, collected as part of a four-year (2014-2018) science program to establish baseline data for thematic habitat maps. This work was led by the Northern Territory Government in collaboration with Geoscience Australia, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and supported by the INPEX-led Ichthys LNG Project.

Use Cases

• Creating thematic habitat maps based on seabed sediment characteristics.
• Establishing environmental baselines for marine resource management decisions.
• Analyzing sediment grain size distribution for benthic habitat studies.
• Supporting coastal and marine spatial planning with physical seabed data.

Strengths

• Data collection is tied to a defined, multi-year science program (2014-2018) with clear management objectives.
• Involves collaboration between multiple authoritative institutions (Geoscience Australia, AIMS, NT Government).
• Provides specific temporal coverage for the sampling campaign (May 29 - June 19, 2017).

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing, including column names, row count, file size, and license information.
• The dataset's structure and specific measurement parameters are not described.
• The listed 'last updated' dates (2026) are in the future relative to the data collection, suggesting potential metadata system errors.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Field sampling and laboratory analysis of seabed sediments.

Time Range

2014-2018 (program), with primary sampling from May 29 to June 19, 2017.

Freshness

Last updated metadata dates conflict, with entries showing 2026-04-28 and 2026-04-10, which are implausible and indicate a system issue.

Geography

Inner Darwin Harbour (GA0358) and shallow water areas in and around Bynoe Harbour (GA0359), Northern Territory, Australia.