Great Barrier Reef Submerged Bank Habitat Extent and Suitability

A 2013 study from the ICES Journal of Marine Science quantifies deep coral reef habitat on the Great Barrier Reef. The dataset, sourced via the Australian Ocean Data Network, indicates that 61% (25,600 km²) of available seabed on submerged banks represents potential deep reef habitat, with predictive modelling suggesting over half (around 14,000 km²) is suitable for coral communities.

Use Cases

• Modeling coral reef habitat suitability based on bank depth and location data mentioned in the description
• Assessing the spatial distribution and extent of deep reef habitats relative to near-sea-surface reefs
• Planning marine protected areas based on quantified seabed area and predicted suitable habitat
• Studying the impact of ocean warming on reef biodiversity by analyzing available refuge habitat

Strengths

• Provides specific area calculations: 16,110 km² for near-sea-surface reefs and 25,600 km² for submerged banks
• Includes a predictive habitat model result indicating around 14,000 km² is suitable for coral communities
• Focuses on a globally significant and well-defined geography: the Great Barrier Reef

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN)

Collection Method

Likely derived from bathymetric surveys and predictive habitat modelling, as described in the cited 2013 journal article.

Time Range

Study published in 2013; temporal coverage of underlying data is not specified.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 18:42:32.010945; freshness should be verified

Geography

Great Barrier Reef, Australia