Seabed Morphology and Geomorphology Maps of the Coral Sea Marine Park

Geoscience Australia Data produced this geospatial data product containing seabed morphology and geomorphology information for Flinders Reefs and Cairns Seamount within the Coral Sea Marine Park. The maps were derived using a two-step classification system applied to bathymetry DEMs, including multibeam, LADS, LiDAR, and hydrographic data. The dataset was last updated on 2026-04-30.

Use Cases

• Marine habitat mapping based on interpreted seabed geomorphology features.
• Spatial planning for marine protected areas using polygon extents of topographic highs, lows, and planar features.
• Quantitative analysis of seabed geometries using the mapped morphology feature types and their geometric attributes.

Strengths

• Uses a nationally consistent two-part seabed geomorphology classification system (Dove et al., 2020; Nanson et al., 2023).
• Derived from high-resolution data sources, including an 8 m DEM for Flinders Reefs and a 1 m gridded subset for Cairns Seamount.
• Interpretation informed by supplemental datasets like backscatter intensity, seabed imagery, sediment samples, and sub-bottom profiles.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified despite the 2026-04-30 update timestamp.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Semi-automated GIS mapping tools (GA-SaMMT) applied to bathymetry DEMs, supplemented by multibeam surveys, LADS, LiDAR, and hydrographic data.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 12:37:46.994114.

Geography

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