Darwin Harbour Predicted Seabed Mud Content at 10-Meter Resolution

Darwin Harbour Habitat Mapping Program provides a predicted seabed mud content grid for the greater Darwin and Bynoe Harbour regions. The dataset is a 10-meter resolution raster derived from 395 samples and nine environmental variables, compiled from multiple surveys between 2011 and 2017. This work was funded by an INPEX-led Ichthys LNG Project offset to the Northern Territory Government, with co-investment from Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

Use Cases

• Modeling seabed habitat distribution based on predicted mud content.
• Informing marine resource management decisions based on baseline environmental data.
• Comparing predictive accuracy of seabed composition methods based on the reported VEcv of 62% for mud.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of sediment type for coastal engineering or conservation planning.

Strengths

• Predictive accuracy is reported as very high, with a VEcv of 62% for mud.
• Predictive accuracy was increased by 198.3% for mud compared to a commonly used method (IDW).
• Data provides spatially continuous predictions at a 10-meter resolution.
• Dataset supersedes previous predictions with demonstrated improvements.

Limitations

• Absences in predictions occur due to non-availability of associated predictive variables.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, aggregating data from Geoscience Australia, Australian Institute of Marine Science, and the Northern Territory Government's Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Collection Method

Predictions based on 395 samples and nine environmental variables derived from high-resolution multibeam sonar bathymetry and backscatter data.

Time Range

Surveys undertaken between 2011 and 2017.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 22:13:09.721395; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Darwin Harbour and Bynoe Harbour region, northern Australian marine margin.