Darwin Harbour Seabed Habitat Maps and Bathymetry from 2011 and 2013 Surveys

2011 and 2013 seabed mapping surveys in Darwin Harbour collected high-resolution multibeam sonar bathymetry, acoustic backscatter, video observations, and physical sediment samples. The research was a collaboration between Geoscience Australia, the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the Department of Land Resource Management, and the Darwin Port Corporation. Key outcomes include detailed bathymetric maps and a seascape classification map with six habitat classes derived from substrate, relief, and bedform data.

Use Cases

• Predictive modeling of marine biodiversity based on continuous physical seabed variables.
• Mapping the spatial distribution of hard and soft seabed substrates for habitat conservation.
• Characterizing benthic habitats in high-turbidity environments where optical remote sensing is limited.
• Planning future benthic biodiversity studies using the provided baseline seascape maps.

Strengths

• Data collection involved high-resolution multibeam sonar and seabed sampling across two dedicated survey campaigns.
• Collaboration between multiple authoritative institutions including Geoscience Australia and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
• Produced a seascape map with six distinct habitat classes based on statistically unique combinations of substrate, relief, and bedform.

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.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data.gov.au

Collection Method

Surveys conducted via multibeam sonar, video/still camera observations, and physical sediment sampling from research vessels MV Matthew Flinders (2011) and MV John Hickman (2013).

Time Range

2011, 2013

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 18:19:10.261730; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia