North Wollongong Seabed Bathymetry and Backscatter Survey, 2017-2022

The North Wollongong bathymetry survey was acquired by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment from 13 August 2017 to 4 March 2022. It provides 32-bit floating point geotiff files of bathymetry and backscatter data at a 5-meter resolution for the Bellambi Point to Stanwell Park area. This dataset was created as part of the SeabedNSW program to establish a baseline and map seabed type distribution.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal erosion and sediment transport based on high-resolution bathymetry.
• Mapping seabed habitats and benthic communities based on backscatter data indicating substrate type.
• Establishing baseline conditions for environmental impact assessments based on the stated project purpose.
• Integrating with terrestrial datasets for coastal zone management based on the geospatial raster format.

Strengths

• Data collection spanned nearly five years, from 13 August 2017 to 4 March 2022.
• Provides both bathymetry and backscatter layers at a stated 5-meter resolution.
• Processing methodology is documented via a referenced standard operating procedures document.

Limitations

• Row count and total file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The description explicitly states the dataset is not to be used for navigational purposes.

Provenance

Source

NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE), acquired via the RV Bombora vessel.

Collection Method

Multibeam sonar survey using an R2Sonic 2022 system, processed with Hypack, Qimera, FMGT, and related software.

Time Range

13 August 2017 to 4 March 2022

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 18:35:06.319623; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North Wollongong coastal area from Bellambi Point to Stanwell Park, New South Wales, Australia.