Seagrass Bed Mapping in Tasmanian Waters Using Satellite and Field Data

Geospatial data maps the extent and composition of temperate subtidal seagrass beds in the Furneaux Group of Islands, Tasmania. The mapping was produced by the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Project 3.6 using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, bathymetric LiDAR, and field validation from approximately 400 locations. The dataset was rehosted by the Seamap Australia collaborative project and last updated in June 2026.

Use Cases

• Assess seagrass habitat extent and coverage based on mapped polygons of seagrass, sand, and macroalgae.
• Model blue carbon storage potential based on the mapped distribution of seagrass species.
• Validate remote sensing classification algorithms using field data from photo quadrats and rhizome cores.
• Analyze species composition patterns of Posidonia, Amphibolis, Heterozostera, and Zostera seagrasses where water clarity permits.

Strengths

• Integrates multiple data sources, including high-resolution Sentinel-2 imagery, bathymetric LiDAR, and field validation from approximately 400 locations.
• Focuses on a significant knowledge gap, mapping potentially some of the largest and deepest temperate seagrass extents in Australia.
• Project conducted in partnership with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, indicating community engagement.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Mapping is constrained by water depth and clarity, with reliable optical detection limited to approximately 30 meters.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale statistical analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, rehosting data from NESP MaC Project 3.6.

Collection Method

A combination of remote sensing (Sentinel-2, LiDAR) and field validation (BOSS, stereo-uBRUV) at approximately 400 locations.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 21:21:37.625393; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Coastal waters surrounding Flinders Island in the Furneaux Group of Islands, Tasmania, from the high tide line to ~30m depth.