NESP D3 Hunter Marine Park Bathymetry: Multi-Beam Sonar Surveys 2015-2019

Gridded multi-beam echosounder bathymetry data for the Hunter Marine Park, acquired by the NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment aboard RV Bombora. Fieldwork was funded in 2015 and 2018 under the National Environmental Science Program D3 Project, with focused 100% coverage surveys in 2018-19 at three key sites near Seal Rocks and Broughton Island. Associated reports by Davies et al (2016) and Williams et al (2020) detail seabed habitat characterisation using towed video and BRUVs.

Use Cases

• Model seafloor terrain and habitat suitability based on gridded bathymetry data.
• Analyze the distribution of the 'Continental Shelf Reef' Key Ecological Feature based on survey targeting.
• Integrate bathymetric layers with biological survey data (towed video, BRUVs) for ecological characterisation.

Strengths

• Data includes 100% coverage surveys over targeted reef areas from 2018.
• Surveys are linked to published milestone reports detailing methodology and ecological findings.
• Fieldwork spans multiple years (2015, 2018) under a funded national science program.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, collected by NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment for the National Environmental Science Program.

Collection Method

Acquired using a multi-beam echosounder system aboard RV Bombora.

Time Range

Surveys conducted in 2015 and 2018-19.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 19:51:43.181952; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Hunter Marine Park, Australia, specifically areas east and south-east of Seal Rocks and Broughton Island.