Seabed Morphology and Geomorphology Maps of the Coral Sea Marine Park, Australia

Geoscience Australia provides geospatial seabed morphology and geomorphology maps for the Flinders Reefs and Cairns Seamount within the Coral Sea Marine Park. The data product was created using a two-part classification system applied to bathymetry digital elevation models derived from multibeam, LADS, LiDAR, and hydrographic surveys. The maps are intended for use by marine park managers, regulators, and the general public.

Use Cases

• Classifying seabed morphology features based on topographic high, low, and planar extents derived from bathymetry DEMs.
• Interpreting seabed geomorphology by supplementing morphology classifications with backscatter intensity and seabed imagery data.
• Supporting marine spatial planning and habitat mapping for the Coral Sea Marine Park based on the nationally consistent classification system.

Strengths

• Uses a nationally consistent two-part seabed geomorphology classification system (Dove et al., 2020; Nanson et al., 2023).
• Derived from high-resolution bathymetry data, including an 8 m DEM for Flinders Reefs and a 1 m DEM subset for Cairns Seamount.
• Incorporates multiple data sources including multibeam surveys, LADS, LiDAR, and Australian Hydrographic Office bathymetry.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing on specific areas of the Coral Sea.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, Geoscience Australia

Collection Method

Semi-automated GIS mapping tools (GA-SaMMT) applied to bathymetry DEMs, supplemented by backscatter, imagery, sediment samples, and sub-bottom profiles.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 20:10:33.934699; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Flinders Reefs and Cairns Seamount, Coral Sea Marine Park, north-eastern Australia