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NSW Environment Multi Beam Echo Sounder Gridded Data

Created 24/06/2025

Updated 14/11/2025

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Gridded multi-beam echousounder (MBES) bathymetry and backscatter data acquired using NSW government's (NSW Department of Climate Change Energy Environment and Water) multi-beam echosounder (MBES) systems aboard RV's Bombora, Seascan and Glaucus. Fieldwork surveys were completed as part of the SeabedNSW program funded by NSW government under State-wide Science (2022-30), Coastal Reforms (2015-2022), HabMap Program (2005-2015) or under collaboration with partner agencies or institutions (DPI, Parks Australia, NESP). Surveys are predominantly on the open coast and within NSW state waters (<3NM) in priority areas as determined by the focus of source funding; i.e. Coastal Reforms surveys focused on providing 100% coverage for high priority Secondary Sediment Compartments; marine park mapping focused on Habitat Protection and Sanctuary zones. MBES data were obtained using semi-permanent installations of either a Geoswath 125 KHZ swath bathymetry system (2005-2017) or R2Sonic 2022 (>2017) with Applanix Wavemaster POSMV (>2011) providing positioning, height (RTK) and 3D motion solution; or Edgetech swath system w sidescan (>2021). MBES was collected in GS+ (GeoAcoustics) or Hypack with attitude and positional data acquired in POSView and post processed using POSPac either Single-Base or Precise-Point-Positioning modules for improved vessel Smoothed Best Estimate of Trajectory. Data were cube modeled in Fledermaus/Qimera software (>2010) to IHO 1B standard and cleaned-soundings exported before being gridded using bin-weighted averaging (generally 5 m grid cell size) relative to Australian Height Datum and issued in grid coordinates (UTM WGS84 Zone55 or 56; GDA2020 Zone 55 or 56). General details on vessel setup, mobilisation and processing are provided at https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Research/Our-science-and-research/seabed-nsw-standard-operating-procedures-multibeam-surveying-190101.pdf with survey specific details in the Survey Report and survey Rigor Statement (provided upon request). Data packages provided via the Australian Oceanographic Data Network (https://portal.aodn.org.au/) include bathymetry and backscatter in multiple formats; while those provided on AusSeabed (https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/marine) are gridded bathymetry and backscatter data as geotif only. Data are not to be used for navigation purposes.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title NSW Environment Multi Beam Echo Sounder Gridded Data
Language English
Licence Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/en/dataset/bb12fcbd-343b-4920-b4cd-ee2174d53d86
Remote Last Updated 23/10/2025
Contact Point
NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
?datansw@customerservice.nsw.gov.au
Reference Period 01/01/2005
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        149.45801,
        -37.69078
      ],
      [
        149.45801,
        -27.80798
      ],
      [
        154.55566,
        -27.80798
      ],
      [
        154.55566,
        -37.69078
      ],
      [
        149.45801,
        -37.69078
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal DataNSW

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on DataNSW "NSW Environment Multi Beam Echo Sounder Gridded Data". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://data.nsw.gov.au/data/dataset/nsw-nsw-environment-multibeam-survey-gridded-bathymetry-and-backscatter-datasets