Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park Satellite-Derived Bathymetry and Seafloor Habitat Maps

Parks Australia's Indian Oceans Territory Grants Project mapped Satellite-derived Bathymetry (SDB) and seafloor habitats at 2m horizontal spatial resolution for shallow waters (~0-25 m) of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park. The SDB data was processed using EOMAP's proprietary Watcor-X software and algorithm package, applying a physics-based inversion method. The dataset provides a geospatial baseline for monitoring and management.

Use Cases

• Environmental modeling and impact assessment based on high-resolution bathymetry and habitat maps.
• Long-term monitoring of marine park ecosystems based on standardized reflectance surfaces and habitat classifications.
• Navigation and safety-at-sea planning in shallow waters based on satellite-derived bathymetry.
• Conservation planning and management based on classified major seafloor habitat types.

Strengths

• Provides bathymetry and habitat data at a 2-meter horizontal spatial resolution.
• Covers shallow waters (~0-25 m) of a specific marine park, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
• Data processing used a physics-based inversion method and proprietary software (Watcor-X).

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is not to be used for navigational purposes, limiting one potential application.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Satellite-derived Bathymetry processed using EOMAP's Watcor-X software and algorithm package.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 00:52:30.317601; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park, shallow waters (~0-25 m).