Description: This layer contains the location of underwater towed-video transects collected by Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS) on various surveys on the northwest shelf. See each individual layer for more detailed information.
Description: This layer shows the location for 130 towed-video transects collected during the Carnarvon Shelf (WA) marine survey in 2008 (SOL4769, GA0308). The purpose of the survey was to map seabed bathymetry and characterise benthic environments through co-located sampling of surface sediments and infauna, observation of benthic habitats using underwater towed video and stills photography, and measurement of ocean tides and wave-generated currents. Data and samples were acquired using the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Research Vessel Solander. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/72044.
Description: This layer shows the location of 45 towed-video transects collected during the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf survey (SOL4934, GA0322) on the R.V. Solander between 27 August and 24 September 2009 in collaboration with staff from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Northern Territory Government. The survey obtained detailed geological (sedimentological, geochemical, geophysical) and biological data for the banks, channels and plains to establish the late-Quaternary evolution of the region and investigate relationships between the physical environment and associated biota for biodiversity prediction. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/70206.
Description: This layer shows the location of 79 towed-video transects collected during the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf survey (SOL5117, GA0325) on the R.V. Solander between 30 July and 30 September 2010 in collaboration with staff from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Museum and Art Gallery of Territory (MAGNT). This was a follow up survey from a survey in 2009 (SOL4934, GA0322). The aims of the survey were to map, identify and investigate potential geohazards and unique, sensitive environments that relate to infrastructure; and to use existing data to evaluate the capacity to predict geohazards and sensitive environments. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/70902.
Description: This layer shows the location of 13 towed-video transects collected on the Petrel Sub-basin Marine Survey GA0335 (SOL5463) on the RV Solander during May 2012 as part of the Commonwealth Government's National Low Emission Coal Initiative (NLECI). The survey was undertaken as collaboration between the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and Geoscience Australia (GA). The purpose was to acquire geophysical and biophysical data on shallow (less then 100m water depth) seabed environments within two targeted areas in the Petrel Sub-basin to support investigation for CO2 storage potential in these areas. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/74672.
Description: This layer shows the location of 52 towed-video transects collected during the Oceanic Shoals survey (SOL5650, GA0339) on the R.V. Solander in collaboration with Geoscience Australia, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), University of Western Australia and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory between 12 September - 5 October, 2012. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/75879.
Description: This layer shows the location of 49 towed-video transects collected during the Leveque Shelf marine survey (SOL5754, GA0340), a sub-basin of the Browse Basin, in May 2013. The survey was undertaken under the Australian Government's National CO2 Infrastructure Plan (NCIP) to help identify sites suitable for the long term storage of CO2 within reasonable distances of major sources of CO2 emissions. The principal aim of the Leveque Shelf marine survey was to look for evidence of any past or current gas or fluid seepage at the seabed, and to determine whether these features are related to structures (e.g. faults) in the Leveque Shelf area that may extend to the seabed. The survey also mapped seabed habitats and biota to provide information on communities and biophysical features that may be associated with seepage. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/77504.
Description: This layer shows the location of 22 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) video missions collected during the marine survey of the north-eastern Browse Basin (Caswell Sub-basin)(GA0345/GA0346/TAN1411) between 9 October and 9 November 2014. The aim of the survey was to acquire seabed and shallow geological information to support an assessment of the CO2 storage potential of the basin. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/89921.
Description: This layer consists of a subset of data (n = 264479) extracted from the MARine Sediment (MARS) database on 26 November 2015 using the following bounding box - 9.23485 (decimal degrees (dd), north), 131.239013 (dd, east), -23.586110 (dd, south) and 110.681228 (dd, west). Data is displayed according to the sampling method. The geocat for this dataset is 69869.
The MARS database contains detailed information on seabed sediment characteristics for samples collected from Australia's marine jurisdiction, including the Australian Antarctic Territory. It is an important scientific resource that includes survey and sample information such as locations, water depths and sample descriptions. Data are also provided from quantitative analyses of the sediments, such as grain size, mud, sand, gravel and carbonate concentrations, mineralogy, age determinations, geochemical properties, and physical attributes for down-core samples including bulk density, p-wave velocity, porosity and magnetic susceptibility.
New data are being added as they become available. Please contact us at marine.sediments@ga.gov.au if you wish to contribute marine sediment data to the MARS database or access the database at http://dbforms.ga.gov.au/pls/www/npm.mars.search
Description: This group layer contains spatially continuous data layers of predicted seabed gravel, sand and mud content in the north-northwest region of the Australian continental EEZ. Data is expressed as a weight percentage ranging from 0-100%. See each layer's description for further information.
Description: This dataset provides the spatially continuous data of predicted seabed gravel content (sediment fraction greater than 2000 µm) expressed as a weight percentage ranging from 0 to 100%, presented in 0.0025 decimal degree (dd) resolution raster grids format and ascii text file. The dataset covers the north-northwest region of the Australian continental EEZ. This dataset supersedes previous predictions of seabed gravel content for the region with demonstrated improvements in accuracy. Accuracy of predictions varies based on density of underlying data and level of seabed complexity. Artefacts occur in this dataset as a result of insufficient samples in relevant areas. This dataset is intended for use at regional scale. The dataset may not be appropriate for use at local scales in areas where sample density is insufficient to detect local variation in sediment properties. To obtain the most accurate interpretation of sediment distribution in these areas, it is recommended that additional samples be collected and interpolations updated. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/76997.
Description: This dataset provides the spatially continuous data of predicted seabed mud content (sediment fraction finer than 63 µm) expressed as a weight percentage ranging from 0 to 100%, presented in 0.0025 decimal degree (dd) resolution raster grids format and an ascii text file. The dataset covers the north-northwest region of the Australian continental EEZ. This dataset supersedes previous predictions of seabed mud content for the region with demonstrated improvements in accuracy. Accuracy of predictions varies based on density of underlying data and level of seabed complexity. Artefacts occur in this dataset as a result of insufficient samples in relevant areas. This dataset is intended for use at regional scale. The dataset may not be appropriate for use at local scales in areas where sample density is insufficient to detect local variation in sediment properties. To obtain the most accurate interpretation of sediment distribution in these areas, it is recommended that additional samples be collected and interpolations updated. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/76998.
Description: This dataset provides the spatially continuous data of predicted seabed sand content (sediment fraction 63 - 2000 µm) expressed as a weight percentage ranging from 0 to 100%, presented in 0.0025 decimal degree (dd) resolution raster grids format and an ascii text file. The dataset covers the north-northwest region of the Australian continental EEZ. This dataset supersedes previous predictions of seabed sand content for the region with demonstrated improvements in accuracy. Accuracy of predictions varies based on density of underlying data and level of seabed complexity. Artefacts occur in this dataset as a result of insufficient samples in relevant areas. This dataset is intended for use at regional scale. The dataset may not be appropriate for use at local scales in areas where sample density is insufficient to detect local variation in sediment properties. To obtain the most accurate interpretation of sediment distribution in these areas, it is recommended that additional samples be collected and interpolations updated. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/76999.
Description: This layer consists of a map of 13 derived seascapes across the Australian continental shelf. Seascapes describe a layer of ecologically meaningful biophysical variable that spatially represent potential seabed habitats have been derived for the Australian margin and adjacent seabed in a new analysis of existing biophysical data. They were derived using the unsupervised ISOCLASS classification in the software package ERMapper. The dataset can be downloaded at the following URL http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/69242.
Value: Very deep, very steep, muddy gravel, cold, very low disturbance, low primary productivity Label: Very deep, very steep, muddy gravel, cold, very low disturbance, low primary productivity Description: Symbol:
Value: Very shallow, flat, muddy gravel, very warm, very low disturbance, very high primary productivity Label: Very shallow, flat, muddy gravel, very warm, very low disturbance, very high primary productivity Description: Symbol: