Hunter Marine Park Bathymetry Grids from 2019 NESP Survey

NESP D3 Hunter Marine Park Bathymetry 2019 provides gridded multi-beam echosounder data for seabed mapping. The dataset was acquired by the NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment aboard RV Bombora, funded by the National Environmental Science Program. It focuses on areas containing the Key Ecological Feature 'Continental Shelf Reef' near Seal Rocks and Broughton Islands.

Use Cases

• Model seafloor terrain using gridded bathymetry data to identify reef structures and shelf habitats.
• Analyze bathymetric features for correlation with ecological data on fish and sessile invertebrate assemblages.
• Integrate bathymetry grids with towed underwater video and BRUVs survey reports for holistic marine habitat characterisation.

Strengths

• Data acquired using a dedicated multi-beam echosounder system aboard a research vessel (RV Bombora).
• Surveys targeted 100% coverage over areas containing the defined Key Ecological Feature 'Continental Shelf Reef'.
• Dataset is supported by published technical reports detailing survey methodology and findings.

Limitations

• Specific technical details like grid resolution, depth range, and data point count are not provided in the input.
• The dataset is explicitly not to be used for navigational purposes, limiting its application scope.
• Data availability and structure within the ZIP file format are unknown.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data, originating from the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Biodiversity Hub.

Collection Method

Collected via multi-beam echosounder surveys aboard RV Bombora, funded by NSW DPIE and NESP.

Time Range

Surveys conducted in 2015 (exploratory) and 2018-19 (focused mapping).

Freshness

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Geography

Hunter Marine Park, specifically areas east/southeast of Seal Rocks, Outer Gibber, and east/northeast of Broughton Island in the Tasman Sea.