Visioning the Coral Sea Marine Park Bathymetry Survey (FK200429/GA4861)

Geoscience Australia's bathymetry survey mapped the Queensland Plateau from April 29 to June 11, 2020. The survey used Kongsberg EM302 and EM710 multibeam sonar systems aboard the RV Falkor, led by Dr. Rob Beaman from James Cook University. Its objectives included detailing seabed features like drowned reef pinnacles and investigating mesophotic reef bleaching as a potential refuge for the Great Barrier Reef.

Use Cases

• Modeling seabed topography and geological evolution based on detailed bathymetric mapping of the Queensland Plateau.
• Assessing coral reef bleaching extent and refuge potential based on survey data from mesophotic reefs.
• Identifying and analyzing enigmatic seabed features like drowned reef pinnacles and meandering channels mentioned in the survey objectives.

Strengths

• Data collected during a dedicated 44-day survey from April 29 to June 11, 2020 aboard a dedicated research vessel.
• Survey employed Kongsberg EM302 and EM710 multibeam sonar systems, which are industry-standard tools for high-resolution seafloor mapping.
• Project led by a named principal investigator (Dr. Rob Beaman) with collaboration from multiple reputable institutions.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale statistical modeling.
• The dataset is explicitly not to be used for navigational purposes, limiting its application scope.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data, with contributions from James Cook University, The University of Sydney, and the Queensland Museum.

Collection Method

Data acquired using Kongsberg EM302 and EM710 multibeam sonar systems aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor.

Time Range

April 29, 2020 to June 11, -2020

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 09:05:36.155041; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Queensland Plateau within the Coral Sea Marine Park.