AUSTREA: Seabed Swath-Mapping Surveys of the South-east Australian Marine Region

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 Australia's Ocean Policy. 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

• Plan marine protected areas (MPAs) based on seabed geophysical data.
• Support regional marine planning based on scientific seabed information.
• Analyze seabed morphology for geological research based on swath-mapping survey data.
• Model marine habitats based on seafloor mapping of the specified regions.

Strengths

• Data from two major, commissioned scientific surveys (AUSTREA-1 and AUSTREA-2).
• Covers a large, specified geographic region including multiple distinct marine areas.
• Commissioned by official government bodies (National Oceans Office and Environment Australia) for policy implementation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Primary file formats are PDF and HTML, which may require extraction for direct geospatial analysis.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Surveys completed in early 2000.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 09:37:17.757588; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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