Multibeam Echosounder Survey of Tasmanian Marine Park

Kongsberg EM710 MKII multibeam echosounder data captures seafloor bathymetry, backscatter, and watercolumn backscatter from a 2021 research voyage. The Australian Ocean Data Network provides 32 raw bathymetry files (12.2 GB) and 30 watercolumn files (39.7 GB) from the RV Investigator. Data collection occurred between November 20 and November 28, 2021, east of Tasmania and around Freycinet Marine Park.

Use Cases

• Generate high-resolution bathymetric grids from processed *.gsf or GeoTIFF data for seafloor terrain modeling.
• Analyze seafloor composition by correlating backscatter intensity data with known geological features.
• Study watercolumn backscatter in *.wcd format to investigate pelagic scattering layers or biological activity.
• Apply sound velocity profiles and tide corrections from RTK/GPS and EGM2008 to validate acoustic data processing pipelines.
• Calibrate trawling winch and CTD operations by referencing the georeferenced survey lines and equipment testing logs.

Strengths

• Data is corrected for vessel motion, position, and tides using RTK/GPS and the EGM2008 geoid model.
• Processed data has had outliers removed, available in multiple formats including *.gsf, ASCII, and GeoTIFF.
• Raw dataset totals 51.9 GB across 62 files, providing detailed acoustic recordings.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to a single 8-day voyage in 2021, restricting temporal analysis.
• Geographic coverage is focused on specific areas east of Tasmania, not a broad regional survey.
• The underlying raw *.all and *.wcd formats require specialized software (e.g., CARIS) for full interpretation.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, collected via the RV Investigator research vessel.

Collection Method

Acquired using a Kongsberg EM710 MKII multibeam echosounder during a dedicated equipment calibration and sea trials voyage.

Time Range

November 20 to November 28, 2021.

Freshness

Data is from a discrete collection period in November 2021; no update frequency is specified.

Geography

Marine areas east of Tasmania and around Freycinet Marine Park, Australia.