Cocos Islands Marine Park Bathymetry and Seafloor Habitat Maps

Parks Australia and EOMAP produced satellite-derived bathymetry and seafloor habitat classification for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park. The dataset provides 2-meter horizontal resolution mapping for shallow waters from 0 to 25 meters depth. Data was acquired and processed in March 2022.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal erosion or sediment transport using the 2m-resolution bathymetry data layer.
• Classifying and monitoring coral reef or seagrass habitats from the object-based seafloor habitat classification.
• Establishing environmental baselines for marine park management using the georeferenced bathymetry and habitat maps.
• Studying light interaction in the water column by analyzing the physics-based inversion data from the radiative transfer model.

Strengths

• 2-meter horizontal spatial resolution for detailed analysis.
• Covers shallow waters from 0 to 25 meters depth.
• Based on proprietary Watcor-X algorithm for physics-based inversion.

Limitations

• Spatial coverage is limited to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park only.
• Data is not intended for navigational purposes, limiting certain applications.
• Sample size and temporal coverage for change detection are unknown.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, originating from Parks Australia and EOMAP.

Collection Method

Processed from multi-spectral satellite data using EOMAP's Watcor-X software and object-based classification.

Time Range

Acquisition date March 29, 2022.

Freshness

Data was acquired on March 29, 2022, providing a recent snapshot.

Geography

Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park in the Indian Ocean.