AUSTREA: Seafloor Mapping of 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 the implementation of 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

• Identify potential marine protected area locations 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.

Strengths

• Commissioned by two Australian government agencies (National Oceans Office and Environment Australia) for policy implementation.
• Covers a large, defined geographic region including multiple distinct marine zones.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data freshness should be verified; the underlying surveys were conducted in early 2000.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Seabed swath-mapping and geophysical surveys (AUSTREA-1 and AUSTREA-2).

Time Range

Surveys completed in early 2000.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 03:08:12.756563; underlying data from 2000.

Geography

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