Australian Bathymetry Survey Coverage Database with Metadata

Polygon extents of all known bathymetry surveys and compilations within Australia's marine jurisdiction, including the Australian Antarctic Territory. The dataset includes metadata on data availability, contact details, and gridded resolution for published data. It is live and updated regularly, with the last update recorded as 2026-06-28.

Use Cases

• Assess seabed mapping coverage for research planning based on survey extents and metadata.
• Identify sources for bathymetric data based on contact details and public availability information.
• Evaluate data resolution for modeling based on gridded resolution metadata for published surveys.
• Support reporting for Seamap Australia's 'State of Knowledge' functionality based on the dataset's stated purpose.

Strengths

• Covers Australia's entire marine jurisdiction, including the Australian Antarctic Territory.
• Aggregates coverage from multiple authoritative sources including AusSeabed, CSIRO, and state portals.
• Includes metadata on data availability and gridded resolution, which is noted as a unique feature for reporting.
• Is described as live and continually updated, with a last update date of 2026-06-28.

Limitations

• Spatial simplification has been applied, which may mean polygons do not represent true survey extents, especially for unpublished surveys.
• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic or source bias inherent to the contributing platforms.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Compiled from multiple sources including AusSeabed dynamic layers, CSIRO Geoserver footprints, and manually computed footprints from other online repositories.

Freshness

Updated regularly; last updated 2026-06-28.

Geography

Australia's marine jurisdiction, including the Australian Antarctic Territory.