Great Barrier Reef Submerged Bank Habitat Extent and Distribution

A 2013 study from Geoscience Australia quantified the extent of deep coral reef habitats on the Great Barrier Reef continental shelf. The dataset indicates that 25,600 km² of submerged bank area exists at a mean depth of around 27 m, with predictive modelling suggesting over 14,000 km² is suitable for coral communities. This data was published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science.

Use Cases

• Modeling potential deep reef coral habitat distribution based on submerged bank area and depth.
• Assessing the spatial extent of near-sea-surface versus deep reef habitats for biodiversity conservation.
• Analyzing the latitudinal distribution of reef habitats along the Great Barrier Reef continental shelf.

Strengths

• Provides specific area measurements: 16,110 km² of near-sea-surface reefs and 25,600 km² of submerged bank area.
• Includes a predictive habitat model estimate indicating over 14,000 km² is suitable for coral communities.
• Focuses on a globally significant and well-studied ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data is from a 2013 study; freshness should be verified for current applications.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Scientific study using bathymetric data and predictive habitat modelling, published in ICES Journal of Marine Science.

Time Range

Study published in 2013.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 16:18:43.656977; freshness should be verified

Geography

Great Barrier Reef, Australia.