Great Barrier Reef Submerged Bank Habitat Extent and Distribution

61% of the Great Barrier Reef's bank area, representing 25,600 square kilometers, is submerged at a mean depth of 27 meters, providing potential deep reef habitat. Researchers from James Cook University and Geoscience Australia analyzed this data, published in 2013, to quantify the spatial distribution of deep reef habitats compared to near-sea-surface reefs. The study used predictive habitat modeling to indicate over 14,000 square kilometers of this submerged area is suitable for coral communities.

Use Cases

• Model potential coral community habitat suitability across 25,600 km2 of submerged bank area using predictive habitat modeling outputs.
• Compare the spatial distribution and latitudinal range of submerged bank habitats to near-sea-surface (NSS) reef caps covering 16,110 km2.
• Analyze the mean depth (~27 m) and area of submerged banks to identify refugia sites for coral biodiversity.
• Map the 61% of bank area classified as deep reef habitat versus the 39% capped by NSS reefs for conservation prioritization.

Strengths

• Quantifies a previously poorly known habitat extent of 25,600 square kilometers.
• Provides a clear spatial comparison between near-sea-surface (16,110 km2) and deep reef habitats.
• Includes predictive modeling results indicating over 14,000 km2 is suitable for coral.

Limitations

• Data is from a 2013 publication and may not reflect recent changes in reef condition.
• Specific underlying data columns, row counts, and collection methodology details are not provided in the summary.
• Geographic scope is limited to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, citing research published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science.

Collection Method

Analysis of seabed and reef cap spatial data, combined with predictive habitat modeling.

Time Range

Publication and underlying study date from 2013.

Freshness

Publication date is 2013; metadata record was updated in 2026.

Geography

Great Barrier Reef continental shelf, Australia.