IN2017_V01: Seabed Imagery from the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica

Six camera tow transects collected seafloor imagery and sensor data during the RV Investigator survey IN2017-V01 from January to March 2017. The survey targeted the upper slope and outer continental shelf of the Sabrina Coast in East Antarctica at depths between 480 and 1680 meters. The dataset includes colour-corrected still images, high-definition video, and associated metadata from CTD, altimeter, and pressure sensors.

Use Cases

• Classifying benthic fauna and habitat types based on the high-resolution still images and video.
• Analyzing seafloor topography and substrate composition using imagery paired with altimeter and pressure sensor data.
• Studying oceanographic conditions on the Antarctic shelf using the concurrent CTD measurements for temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen.
• Developing computer vision models for automated detection of marine organisms in deep-sea imagery.

Strengths

• Includes six distinct camera tow transects providing multiple sampling locations.
• Covers a depth range of 480 to 1680 meters on the Antarctic continental shelf and slope.
• Multimodal data collection combines high-resolution still images (Canon 1DX), HD video (Canon C300), and multiple environmental sensors.
• Images were colour corrected to remove blue bias, potentially improving visual analysis.

Limitations

• Sensor timing errors created an offset between image frames and CTD, altimeter, and pressure data, which the description notes is being resolved.
• One tow (A008CAM02) experienced a USBL failure, so locations are based on ship position and layback calculations rather than direct positioning.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data, collected via the Marine National Facility on the RV Investigator.

Collection Method

Data gathered using a towed deep-sea camera system with still and video cameras, lights, and attached environmental sensors.

Time Range

January to March 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 15:08:09.601370; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Sabrina Coast seafloor, East Antarctica