ReefKIM: Kimberley Reef Extent, Geomorphology and Habitat Mapping

853 reef features in Australia's North West Kimberley Bioregion, an extreme marine environment with the highest tidal range in the southern hemisphere. The ReefKIM geodatabase integrates satellite imagery, bathymetry, and ground-truthing to map reef extents, geomorphological zones, and habitats. This record provides access to three of six feature classes, collated for the Seamap Australia National Benthic Habitat Mapping project.

Use Cases

• Analyze reef size and shape distribution based on the 853 mapped reef features with type attributes.
• Model reef zone structure based on five standardised geomorphological zones mapped for 30 reefs.
• Classify benthic habitats based on seven substrate classes mapped for 30 islands and reefs.
• Study the impact of extreme tidal ranges and turbidity on reef morphology using the integrated geospatial layers.

Strengths

• Integrates diverse data sources including satellite imagery, bathymetric charts, and extensive ground-truthing.
• Maps 853 distinct reef features with attributes for size, shape, and type.
• Provides standardized classification for geomorphological zones and habitat/substrate classes.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data coverage for geomorphology and habitats is limited to 30 reefs and islands, not the full 853 features.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, integrating diverse datasets for the Seamap Australia project.

Collection Method

Integration of satellite imagery, orthophotos, bathymetric charts, sub-bottom profiles, geological maps, seabed geomorphology, reef cores, biophysical data, and ground-truthing.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 15:21:09.556605; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australia's North West Kimberley Bioregion.