Forster NSW Seabed Bathymetry and Backscatter Survey, 5m Resolution

The Forster, Cape Hawke to Black Head, bathymetry survey was acquired by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment between 27 February 2019 and 14 October 2020. It provides 32-bit floating point geotiff files of bathymetry and backscatter data at 5-meter resolution, processed using Hypack, R2Sonic GUI, POSPac, Qimera, and FMGT software. The dataset was created to establish a baseline and map seabed type distribution as part of the SeabedNSW program.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal erosion and sediment transport based on high-resolution bathymetry.
• Classifying seabed habitats and substrates based on backscatter data.
• Creating baseline maps for marine spatial planning and conservation efforts.
• Analyzing changes in seabed topography over time using the provided baseline dataset.

Strengths

• Data collection spanned over 19 months from 27 Feb 2019 to 14 Oct 2020, providing temporal depth.
• High-resolution 5-meter grid for both bathymetry and backscatter data.
• Processing pipeline involved multiple industry-standard software packages (Hypack, R2Sonic GUI, POSPac, Qimera, FMGT).
• Standard operating procedures and a survey report are referenced, indicating documented methodology.

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, limiting its application scope.

Provenance

Source

NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE), collected onboard the RV Bombora.

Collection Method

Acquired using a R2Sonic 2022 multibeam sonar system.

Time Range

27 February 2019 to 14 October 2020

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 03:28:49.299551; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Forster, from Cape Hawke to Black Head, New South Wales, Australia