Seabed Swath-Mapping Surveys of Australia's South-East 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 data was commissioned to support Australia's Ocean Policy, specifically for developing the South-east Regional Marine Plan and establishing marine protected areas. The coverage includes Lord Howe Island, the South-east Australian Margin, Tasmania, the South Tasman Rise, and the Central Great Australian Bight.

Use Cases

• Analyze bathymetry data to identify seabed features for marine protected area (MPA) planning.
• Process geophysical survey data to model the seafloor geology of the South-east Australian Margin.
• Integrate marine survey data with jurisdictional boundaries (Marine Jurisdiction) for regional marine planning.
• Use swath-mapping outputs to assess seabed characteristics in areas like the South Tasman Rise.

Strengths

• Data originates from two dedicated national seabed mapping surveys (AUSTREA-1 and AUSTREA-2).
• Commissioned by authoritative government bodies (National Oceans Office and Environment Australia) for policy implementation.
• Covers a broad geographic region including Tasmania, Lord Howe Island, and the Great Australian Bight.

Limitations

• Core data (swath-mapping, geophysical) is likely embedded in PDF/HTML reports, requiring extraction for analysis.
• Temporal coverage is limited to the survey period around early 2000, representing a historical snapshot.
• Specific quantitative metrics (row counts, resolution) are unknown from the provided description.

Provenance

Source

Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO), now Geoscience Australia.

Collection Method

Seabed swath-mapping and geophysical surveys.

Time Range

Surveys completed in early 2000.

Freshness

Historical data from 2000; metadata last updated March 2026.

Geography

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