Elizabeth and Middleton Reef Bathymetry Survey, 2020

Geoscience Australia collected bathymetry data for Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs within the Lord Howe Marine Park from 31 January to 6 February 2020. The survey provides baseline information for benthic habitats using multibeam sonar, AUV imagery, sediment samples, and BRUV footage. The dataset comprises two bathymetry grids at 5 m resolution covering a combined area of 312 km².

Use Cases

• Modeling seafloor topography based on 5 m resolution multibeam sonar grids.
• Analyzing benthic habitat distribution within National Park and Recreational Use Zones.
• Monitoring environmental change over time as part of a 10-year marine park management plan.
• Correlating seabed imagery and sediment samples with bathymetric features.

Strengths

• Data collected by Geoscience Australia using Kongsberg EM 2040C HD multibeam sonar.
• Gridded at a high 5 m spatial resolution.
• Covers a combined area of 312 km², including transit.
• Multimodal data acquisition includes AUV imagery, sediment grabs, and BRUV footage.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is not to be used for navigational purposes.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Survey conducted on the TV Bluefin using multibeam sonar, AUV, sediment grabs, and BRUV.

Time Range

31 January to 6 February 2020.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 10:00:22.836561; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, Lord Howe Marine Park, Australia.