Swan-Canning Estuary Seagrass Habitat Polygons from 2011 Aerial Surveys

A 2013 synthesis report by the Water Science Branch of the Department of Water includes polygon data showing seagrass habitat areas derived from aerial imagery. The data was collected as baseline information on seagrass composition and distribution in key estuaries of southern and south-western Western Australia. Surveys were conducted by the WA Department of Water together with Geoscience Australia.

Use Cases

• Map seagrass distribution based on aerial imagery-derived habitat polygons.
• Establish baseline conditions for seagrass in the Swan-Canning Estuary as part of a risk assessment.
• Analyze changes in submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat over time using the 2011 survey data.

Strengths

• Data was collected by government agencies (WA Department of Water and Geoscience Australia) for a formal synthesis report.
• The dataset provides a specific geospatial data type (polygons) for habitat analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and sample data are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the 2011 survey period.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, via data_gov_au.

Collection Method

Surveys conducted by the WA Department of Water together with Geoscience Australia; habitat polygons derived from aerial imagery.

Time Range

2011

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 20:58:45.653996; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Swan-Canning Estuary, Western Australia.