South-west Corner Marine Park Seabed Backscatter Data at 4m Resolution

Geoscience Australia collected 330 km^2 of seabed backscatter data offshore from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin in 2020 and 2021. This 4-meter resolution dataset was produced using a Kongsberg EM2040C multibeam sonar system and processed with specialized CMST-GA software. The survey builds baseline benthic habitat information to support a 10-year marine park management plan.

Use Cases

• Map seabed hardness and texture for habitat classification based on the backscatter data.
• Establish baseline environmental conditions for monitoring within the South-west Marine Park Network.
• Integrate backscatter data with bathymetry and underwater imagery for comprehensive seafloor analysis.
• Support the development and validation of marine park management plans.

Strengths

• Covers a 330 km^2 area offshore from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin.
• Provides high-resolution (4 m) backscatter data in a 32-bit geotiff format.
• Data was collected by Geoscience Australia using a Kongsberg EM2040C multibeam sonar system.
• Survey was a collaborative project with multiple universities and funded by the National Environmental Science Program.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific survey area.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, in collaboration with the University of Western Australia, University of Tasmania, and the Australian Centre for Field Robotics.

Collection Method

Multibeam sonar data acquisition from the charter vessel Santosha, processed using the CMST-GA MB Process toolbox.

Time Range

Survey periods: 9 – 12 March 2020 and 27 January – 16 February 2021.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 06:29:40.147103; freshness should be verified.

Geography

South-west Corner Marine Park, offshore from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia.