Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Multibeam Sonar Backscatter Survey, 2020

Geoscience Australia collected multibeam sonar backscatter data for Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs in the Lord Howe Marine Park from 31 January to 6 February 2020. The survey provides baseline benthic habitat information for the National Park and Recreational Use Zones, supporting a 10-year marine park management plan (2018-2028). Data includes two bathymetry grids at 4-meter spatial resolution, derived from a Kongsberg EM 2040C HD sonar system.

Use Cases

• Map benthic habitat types based on multibeam sonar backscatter data.
• Establish environmental baselines for monitoring within the Temperate East Marine Park Network.
• Analyze seabed morphology and structure using high-resolution (4m) bathymetry grids.

Strengths

• Data collected with a high-frequency (300 kHz) Kongsberg EM 2040C HD multibeam sonar system.
• Bathymetry grids are provided at a 4-meter spatial resolution.
• Survey was part of a multi-institutional collaborative project funded by the National Environmental Science Program.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia

Collection Method

Data acquired via multibeam sonar survey from the TV Bluefin vessel, supplemented by AUV imagery, sediment grabs, and BRUVs.

Time Range

31 January to 6 February 2020

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 17:37:25.296113; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Middleton Reef and Elizabeth Reef, Lord Howe Marine Park, Australia