A seafloor habitat map for the Australian continental shelf

Vanessa Lucieer; Neville Barrett; Claire Butler; Emma Flukes; Daniel Ierodiaconou; Tim Ingleton; Alan Jordan; Jacquomo Monk; Jessica Meeuwig; Rick Porter-Smith; Neil Smit; Peter Walsh; Alison Wright; Craig Johnson

doi:10.1038/s41597-019-0126-2

A seafloor habitat map for the Australian continental shelf

Sci Data. 2019 Jul 11;6(1):120. doi: 10.1038/s41597-019-0126-2.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia. vanessa.lucieer@utas.edu.au.
² Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 129, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia.
³ School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University, Princes Hwy, Sherwood Park, Warrnambool, Victoria, 3280, Australia.
⁴ NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), 59-61 Goulburn Street, Sydney, 2001, Australia.
⁵ NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Locked Bag 1, Nelson, Bay New South Wales, 2315, Australia.
⁶ School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6008, Australia.
⁷ Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Northern Territory Government, PO Box 496, Northern, Territory, 0831, Australia.
⁸ Evaluation and Ecological Science Unit, Science Group, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Level 7, 81 Waymouth Street, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia.

Abstract

Here we outline the genesis of Seamap Australia, which integrates spatial data of the seabed of Australia's continental shelf (0-200 m depth) from multiple sources to provide a single national map layer of marine habitat. It is underpinned by a hierarchical classification scheme with registered vocabulary, enabling presentation of nationally consistent information at the highest resolution available for any point in space. The Seamap Australia website enables users to delineate particular areas of interest, overlay habitat maps with many other marine data layers, and to directly access the data and metadata underlying the maps they produce. This unique resource represents a step-change in capacity to access and integrate large and diverse marine data holdings and to readily derive information and products to underpin decision making around marine spatial planning and conservation prioritisation, state-of-environment reporting, and research. It is a world first fully integrated national-scale marine mapping and data service.