Elizabeth and Middleton Reef Bathymetry Grids at 5m Resolution

Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs within the Lord Howe Marine Park were surveyed from January 31 to February 6, 2020. The dataset comprises two bathymetry grids derived from multibeam sonar data, gridded at 5-meter spatial resolution and covering a combined area of 312 km². It was collected by Geoscience Australia and partners to establish baseline information for benthic habitats.

Use Cases

• Modeling seafloor topography and habitat complexity based on 5-meter resolution bathymetry grids.
• Establishing environmental baselines for monitoring within the National Park and Recreational Use Zones mentioned in the description.
• Integrating seabed mapping data with complementary seabed imagery and sediment samples collected during the survey.

Strengths

• High-resolution bathymetry data gridded at 5 meters.
• Covers a combined survey area of 312 km², including transit.
• Data collection integrated multiple methods: multibeam sonar, AUV imagery, sediment grabs, and BRUVs.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, in collaboration with the National Environmental Science Program Marine Biodiversity Hub and other research institutions.

Collection Method

Seabed mapping using a Kongsberg EM 2040C HD multibeam sonar (300 kHz), with supplementary data from an AUV, sediment grabs, and baited remote underwater video.

Time Range

Survey conducted from 31 January to 6 February 2020.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 13:04:13.478358; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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