Seabed Morphology and Geomorphology Maps of the Coral Sea Marine Park

Geospatial seabed morphology and geomorphology information for Flinders Reefs and Cairns Seamount within the Coral Sea Marine Park. The maps were created using a nationally consistent two-part classification system applied to bathymetry digital elevation models (DEMs) compiled from multibeam surveys, LiDAR, and other sources. This data product is intended for use by marine park managers, regulators, and other stakeholders.

Use Cases

• Classifying seabed morphology features (e.g., topographic highs, lows) based on the semi-automated GIS mapping tools and geometric attributes described.
• Interpreting seabed geomorphology by integrating additional datasets like backscatter intensity and seabed imagery mentioned in the description.
• Supporting marine spatial planning and management decisions for the Coral Sea Marine Park based on the mapped feature distributions.
• Analyzing high-resolution (1m and 8m) bathymetric data for specific areas like the upper mesophotic zone of Cairns Seamount.

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 8m DEM for Flinders Reefs and a 1m grid subset for Cairns Seamount.
• Supplemented by multiple data sources like backscatter intensity, seabed imagery, and sediment samples to inform geomorphic interpretations.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific survey areas (Flinders Reefs and Cairns Seamount).

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au.

Collection Method

Semi-automated GIS mapping applied to bathymetry DEMs compiled from multibeam surveys (FK200429/GA4861, FK200802/GA0365), LADS, LiDAR, and Australian Hydrographic Office data.

Time Range

Survey dates referenced include 2020 (Beaman et al., 2020; Brooke et al., 2020).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 21:39:08.734456; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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