AUSTREA: Seafloor Maps of South-east Australia and Great Australian Bight

Two major seabed swath-mapping and geophysical surveys, AUSTREA-1 and AUSTREA-2, were completed in early 2000 by the Australian Geological Survey Organisation. The surveys were commissioned by the National Oceans Office and Environment Australia to support the South-east Regional Marine Plan and marine protected area establishment. The data covers the South-east Marine Region, including Lord Howe Island, the South-east Australian Margin, Tasmania, the South Tasman Rise, and the Central Great Australian Bight.

Use Cases

• Marine habitat modeling based on seabed geophysical characteristics.
• Marine protected area (MPA) boundary planning based on seabed survey data.
• Baseline environmental assessment for the South-east Marine Region based on seabed mapping.
• Geological research on the South-east Australian Margin and Great Australian Bight based on swath-mapping data.

Strengths

• Data originates from two major government-commissioned surveys (AUSTREA-1 and AUSTREA-2).
• Covers a significant geographic area including multiple distinct marine regions.
• Designed specifically to inform national ocean policy and marine planning.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data was collected in early 2000; freshness should be verified for current applications.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Seabed swath-mapping and geophysical surveys conducted by the Australian Geological Survey Organisation.

Time Range

Surveys completed in early 2000.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 08:44:53.289953; freshness should be verified

Geography

South-east Marine Region and adjacent waters, including Lord Howe Island, South-east Australian Margin, Tasmania, South Tasman Rise, and Central Great Australian Bight.