Forster Bathymetry: Seabed Mapping from Cape Hawke to Black Head

From 27 February 2019 to 14 October 2020, the New South Wales government acquired this marine survey data onboard the RV Bombora using an R2Sonic 2022 multibeam sonar. The dataset contains 32-bit floating point GeoTIFF files for bathymetry and backscatter at a 5-meter resolution. Its primary purposes were to establish a baseline and map the spatial distribution of seabed types for the SeabedNSW program.

Use Cases

• Creating baseline seabed elevation models based on the 5m resolution bathymetry grids.
• Analyzing seabed composition and texture using the processed backscatter data.
• Supporting coastal management and habitat mapping initiatives under the SeabedNSW and HabMap programs.
• Integrating high-resolution seafloor data with other marine spatial datasets for regional studies.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution (5m) bathymetric and backscatter data derived from a modern R2Sonic 2022 multibeam sonar system.
• Documents a specific and extended acquisition period from 27 Feb 2019 to 14 Oct 2020, indicating a detailed survey effort.
• Processing is documented with standard operating procedures and specific survey reports, suggesting methodological rigor.
• Cross-platform presence on a government data portal signals its status as an official, published dataset.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, license, and author are consistently listed as unknown or null across all sources.
• The dataset is explicitly not for navigational purposes, limiting its application in certain maritime contexts.
• The specific spatial extent (study area) is named but not quantitatively defined in the provided metadata.

Provenance

Source

New South Wales government, Department of Planning and Environment (DPE), acquired via the RV Bombora.

Collection Method

Multibeam sonar survey, with data processed through Hypack, R2Sonic GUI, POSView, POSPac, Qimera, and FMGT software.

Time Range

27 February 2019 – 14 October 2020

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-04-10 according to the most recent platform entry.

Geography

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