Merri Marine Sanctuary Seafloor Depth Survey 2014

Deakin University Marine Mapping lab collected bathymetry data for the Merri Marine Sanctuary over four survey days in March and April 2014. The survey was conducted from the Motor Vessel Yolla using a Kongsberg EM2040c multibeam echosounder. These data were created for a Parks Victoria project to associate southern rock lobster with seafloor habitats.

Use Cases

• Model southern rock lobster habitat preference using seafloor depth and structure data.
• Analyze bathymetric features like slopes and depressions for marine sanctuary management.
• Create high-resolution seafloor terrain maps for ecological research within the sanctuary.
• Compare bathymetry inside the Merri Marine Sanctuary with external reference locations.

Strengths

• Data collected with a Kongsberg EM2040c multibeam echosounder, a high-precision instrument.
• Survey conducted over four specific days in 2014 (10/03, 11/03, 30/03, 01/04), providing temporal specificity.
• Explicitly maps both inside the marine sanctuary and in several external reference locations for comparison.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column details, and spatial resolution are unknown.
• Data is from a single year (2014), limiting temporal trend analysis.
• Survey limited to the Merri Marine Sanctuary area, reducing geographic generalizability.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data.gov.au, originally from Deakin University Marine Mapping lab.

Collection Method

Acquired via ship-based survey onboard the Motor Vessel Yolla using a Kongsberg EM2040c multibeam echosounder.

Time Range

2014 (specifically 10/03, 11/03, 30/03, and 01/04).

Freshness

null

Geography

Merri Marine Sanctuary and several locations outside the sanctuary.