South-west Corner Marine Park Bathymetry Survey, 5m Resolution

March 2020 and January-February 2021 bathymetry data collected by Geoscience Australia in the South-west Corner Marine Park. The dataset covers 330 km^2 offshore from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin and was produced from Kongsberg EM2040C multibeam sonar data processed with CARIS software. The survey was a collaborative project with several universities funded by the National Environmental Science Program to build baseline information for benthic habitats.

Use Cases

• Model seabed topography for habitat mapping based on the 5 m resolution bathymetry data.
• Support environmental monitoring within the South-West Marine Park Network based on the baseline information purpose.
• Integrate with underwater imagery of benthic communities collected on separate deployments for comprehensive habitat analysis.
• Analyze backscatter data (mentioned alongside bathymetry) for seabed sediment characterization.

Strengths

• High-resolution (5 m) bathymetry data derived from Kongsberg EM2040C multibeam sonar.
• Survey covers a specific 330 km^2 area offshore from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin.
• Data collection was funded and conducted by a consortium of authoritative national research bodies.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset is explicitly not to be used for navigational purposes.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Data acquired using multibeam bathymetry and backscatter from a charter vessel, processed with CARIS HIPS and SIPS software.

Time Range

9 – 12 March 2020 and 27 January – 16 February 2021

Geography

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