Submerged Coral Reefs in Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria

Three submerged, living patch coral reefs covering 80 square kilometers were discovered in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. The reefs were identified using multibeam swath sonar, seabed sampling, and underwater video by researchers associated with the Australian Ocean Data Network. This data was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Map reef surface depth using bathymetry data with a mean of 28.6 meters.
• Analyze coral distribution and health from underwater video footage.
• Model late Quaternary reef growth phases using geospatial reef location data.
• Identify potential coral refuges from bleaching using depth and location features.

Strengths

• Covers 80 square kilometers of previously undocumented reef area.
• Integrates multibeam sonar, seabed samples, and video for validation.

Limitations

• Limited to three specific patch reefs, not a systematic survey of the entire Gulf.
• Specific row counts, column details, and sample data are unavailable.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Multibeam swath sonar surveys supplemented with seabed sampling and underwater video.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Data was updated in April 2026.

Geography

Southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia