Australia Coastal Ecosystem Maps from Sentinel-2 Satellite Imagery

Digital Earth Australia provides the first national dataset mapping mangrove, saltmarsh, intertidal, and intertidal seagrass ecosystems at 10-meter resolution. It uses annual time-series of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery for consistent continental-scale mapping, supporting environmental management and reporting.

Use Cases

• Analyze annual time-series of Sentinel-2 imagery to monitor ecological change in mangrove, saltmarsh, and seagrass ecosystems.
• Integrate 10-meter resolution ecosystem maps with Land Cover and Marine Tenure datasets for coastal protection and hazard modelling.
• Use continental-scale mapping of intertidal zones for national environmental ecosystem accounts and State of the Environment reporting.
• Apply the dataset to identify spatial and temporal gaps in higher-resolution expert mapping from aerial and drone surveys.

Strengths

• First national dataset simultaneously mapping four key coastal ecosystem types for Australia.
• Provides consistent continental-scale mapping at 10-meter spatial resolution.
• Uses annual time-series of publicly available Sentinel-2 satellite imagery for repeatable analysis.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column structure, and sample data are unavailable from the input.
• The dataset appears focused on ecosystem presence/classification; detailed ecological health metrics may be absent.
• Relies on satellite imagery interpretation, which may have limitations compared to field surveys for certain attributes.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data via Digital Earth Australia (DEA).

Collection Method

Generated from Earth Observation using annual time-series of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery.

Time Range

Annual time-series, specific years not stated.

Freshness

Last updated 2026 -03-07, indicating active maintenance.

Geography

Continental-scale coverage of Australia's coastal ecosystems.