This service has been created specifically for display in the National Map and the chosen symbology may not suit other mapping applications. The Australian Topographic web map service is seamless national dataset coverage for the whole of Australia. These data are best suited to graphical applications. These data may vary greatly in quality depending on the method of capture and digitising specifications in place at the time of capture. The web map service portrays detailed graphic representation of features that appear on the Earth's surface. These features include the administration boundaries from the Geoscience Australia 250K Topographic Data, including state forest and reserves.

Inter-reefal (i.e. non-reefal) seabed environments have been much less studied than the coral reefs, however they comprise 95% of the total Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Marine Park area. Regional scale spatial analysis of the sediments and geomorphology in these areas allows for a systematic characterisation of the seabed, where comprehensive biological datasets are lacking. We offer an up-to-date synthesis of inter-reefal environments in the GBR, to better understand the nature and distribution of seabed habitats at a regional scale and within the current planning zone scheme, in support of Marine Park management. New quantitative information about surface sediments and geomorphic features, together comprise a new physical dataset of the GBR seabed. This regional dataset contains over 3,000 sediment samples available in Geoscience Australia's (GA) national marine samples database, MARS (www.ga.gov.au/oracle/mars), substantially improving the coverage of surface sediment data from inter-reefal areas, and; GA's current Geomorphic Features dataset (Harris et al., 2005) of the seabed morphology. This marks the first regional synthesis of the surface sedimentology and geomorphology of the GBR since the pioneering work of Belperio (1983a, 1983b) and Maxwell (1968; 1969a; 1969b; 1973). We present a new quantitative sediment dataset that shows regional trends in surface sediments; refining the existing facies model for the mixed carbonate-siliciclastic GBR margin. Our findings also reveal local scale facies characteristics, within the broader regional trends. Until now these distribution patterns haven't been identified on the GBR shelf and are considered to be an important characteristic of the region. In addition, we have revealed other sedimentary characteristics of the region; - Low gravel concentrations cover extensive parts of the shelf. Patches of high gravel concentration occur locally on parts of the inner and outer shelves, reflecting the input of gravel from reef talus aprons. These areas may also be associated with strong tidal currents. - Sand is the dominant grain size fraction, and highest concentrations occur on the middle and outer shelves. Although continuous regions of high sand concentration occur in the far north (e.g. Cape York) and south (e.g. south of Broad Sound) of the Marine Park, the overall distribution of sand is variable as changes in concentration produce local, small-dimension patches at a scale of 10's of metres. - The patchy distribution of sand may reflect a mixture of; 1) widespread supply of modern skeletal carbonate grains, such as foraminifera, molluscs and Halimeda, and/or restricted supply of relict sand; and, 2) the effects of hydrodynamic irregularities in inter-reef channels. - High mud concentrations predominantly occur along the inner shelf and slope. Mud forms local patches on the inner shelf associated with fluvial point sources, which are spatially discontinuous, producing a regionally variable terrigenous sediment wedge of coalescing mud (and sand) patches. - Surface sediments are carbonate-dominated across the shelf and broadly display a regional north-south, shelf-parallel zonation pattern. Low carbonate concentrations of <40% on the inner shelf denote high terrigenous compositions, which increase to >80% on the outer shelf. Within the regional zonation pattern, carbonate patches locally produce a variable distribution in sediment composition. - Uniformly high concentrations of bulk carbonate and carbonate mud on the outer shelf, reflect the constant supply of skeletal carbonate grains from inter-reefal environments, in areas of high reef density and the negligible influence of fluvial sediments on the outer shelf. Regional variations in seabed sediments and geomorphology across the region are also evident in the physical character of the planning zones.

Lord Howe Island in the southwest Pacific Ocean is surrounded by a shallow (20 - 120 m) sub-tropical carbonate shelf 24 km wide and 36 km long. On the mid shelf a relict coral reef (165 km2) extends around the island in water depths of 30 - 40 m. The relict reef comprises sand sheet, macroalgae and hardground habitats. Inshore of the relict reef a sandy basin (mean depth 45 m) has thick sand deposits. Offshore of the relict reef is a relatively flat outer shelf (mean depth 60 m) with bedrock exposures and sandy habitat. Infauna species abundance and richness were similar for sediment samples collected on the outer shelf and relict reef, while samples from the basin had significantly lower infauna abundance and richness. The irregular shelf morphology appears to determine the distribution and character of sandy substrates and local oceanographic conditions, which in turn influence the distribution of different types of infauna communities.

This flythrough of the bathymetry of Australia's South-east Marine region shows the Australian Government's network of marine reserves around Victoria and Tasmania. Features seen include the Tasmanian and Cascade Seamounts, Bass and Murray Canyons and the Tasmanian Fracture Zone. It was created from Geoscience Australia's 250m bathymetry and topography grid of Austraila for the Department of the Environment and Water Resources to use at a media launch 5th July 2007 and as an educational tool at various presentations.

This resource contains geochemistry data for the Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR) in the Timor Sea collected by Geoscience Australia during September and October 2012 on RV Solander (survey GA0339/SOL5650). This dataset comprises major and trace element concentrations in the upper 2 cm of seabed sediment. The Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve survey was undertaken as an activity within the Australian Government's National Environmental Research Program Marine Biodiversity Hub and was the key component of Research Theme 4 - Regional Biodiversity Discovery to Support Marine Bioregional Plans. Hub partners involved in the survey included the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Geoscience Australia, the University of Western Australia, Museum Victoria and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Data acquired during the survey included: multibeam sonar bathymetry and acoustic backscatter; sub-bottom acoustic profiles; physical samples of seabed sediments, infauna and epibenthic biota; towed underwater video and still camera observations of seabed habitats; baited video observations of demersal and pelagic fish, and; oceanographic measurements of the water column from CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) casts and from deployment of sea surface drifters. Further information on the survey is available in the post-survey report published as Geoscience Australia Record 2013/38: Nichol, S.L., Howard, F.J.F., Kool, J., Stowar, M., Bouchet, P., Radke, L., Siwabessy, J., Przeslawski, R., Picard, K., Alvarez de Glasby, B., Colquhoun, J., Letessier, T. & Heyward, A. 2013. Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (Timor Sea) Biodiversity Survey: GA0339/SOL5650 - Post Survey Report. Record 2013/38. Geoscience Australia: Canberra. (GEOCAT #76658).

GA Record detailing the bathymetry compilation put together by Geoscience Australia in agreement with the Australian Antarctic Division. The dataset was used in support of Australia's contribution to the development of the Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (RSMPA) at the CCAMLR Workshop on Marine Protected Areas, held in Brest, France in August 2011.

This resource contains geochemistry data for the Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR) in the Timor Sea collected by Geoscience Australia during September and October 2012 on RV Solander (survey GA0339/SOL5650). This dataset comprises oxygen consumption rates and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) production rates measured on seabed sediments using incubated cores. The Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve survey was undertaken as an activity within the Australian Government's National Environmental Research Program Marine Biodiversity Hub and was the key component of Research Theme 4 - Regional Biodiversity Discovery to Support Marine Bioregional Plans. Hub partners involved in the survey included the Australian Institute of Marine Science, Geoscience Australia, the University of Western Australia, Museum Victoria and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Data acquired during the survey included: multibeam sonar bathymetry and acoustic backscatter; sub-bottom acoustic profiles; physical samples of seabed sediments, infauna and epibenthic biota; towed underwater video and still camera observations of seabed habitats; baited video observations of demersal and pelagic fish, and; oceanographic measurements of the water column from CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) casts and from deployment of sea surface drifters. Further information on the survey is available in the post-survey report published as Geoscience Australia Record 2013/38: Nichol, S.L., Howard, F.J.F., Kool, J., Stowar, M., Bouchet, P., Radke, L., Siwabessy, J., Przeslawski, R., Picard, K., Alvarez de Glasby, B., Colquhoun, J., Letessier, T. & Heyward, A. 2013. Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (Timor Sea) Biodiversity Survey: GA0339/SOL5650 - Post Survey Report. Record 2013/38. Geoscience Australia: Canberra. (GEOCAT #76658).

Flythrough movie showing the bathymetry of the continental shelf within the Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (Timor Sea), highlighting carbonate banks and pinnacles as benthic habitats. The bathymetric image is derived from multibeam sonar collected in 2012 using a 300 kHz Simrad EM3002 system on RV Solander and gridded at 2 m resolution. The Oceanic Shoals Reserve is a study site for the Marine Biodiversity Research Hub, funded through the National Environmental Research Program. Survey work was carried out as a collaboration between Geoscience Australia, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and University of Western Australia. Further information is provided in GA Record 2013/38.

This report details the keystroke methodology used to create the seascape maps for planning areas of the Australian margin.

The Timor Sea and its tropical marine environment support significant and growing economic activity including oil and gas exploration. To reduce uncertainty in decision making regarding the sustainable use and ongoing protection of these marine resources, environmental managers and resource users require sound scientific information on the composition and stability of seabed environments and their biological assemblages. Surveys SOL4934 and SOL5117 to the eastern Joseph Bonaparte Gulf were undertaken in August and September 2009 and July and August 2010 respectively, in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Marine Science, with research collaborations from the RAN Australian Hydrographic Office, the Geological Survey of Canada and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The purpose of these surveys were to develop biophysical maps, and deliver data and information products pertaining to complex seabed environment of the Van Diemen Rise and identify potential geohazards and unique, sensitive environments that relate to offshore infrastructure. This dataset comprises inorganic chemistry of seabed sediments (0-2cm). Some relevant publications are listed below: 1. Heap, A.D., Przeslawski, R., Radke, L., Trafford, J., Battershill, C. and Shipboard Party. 2010. Seabed environments of the eastern Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, Northern Australia: SOL4934 Post Survey Report. Geoscience Australia Record 2010/09, pp.81. 2. Anderson, T.J., Nichol, S., Radke, L., Heap, A.D., Battershill, C., Hughes, M., Siwabessy, P.J., Barrie, V., Alvarez de Glasby, B., Tran, M., Daniell, J. & Shipboard Party, 2011b. Seabed Environments of the Eastern Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, Northern Australia: GA0325/Sol5117 - Post-Survey Report. Geoscience Australia, Record 2011/08, 58pp. 3. Radke, L.C., Li, J., Douglas, G., Przeslawski, R., Nichol, S, Siwabessy, J., Huang, Z., Trafford, J., Watson, T. and Whiteway, T. Characterising sediments of a tropical sediment-starved continental shelf using cluster analysis of physical and geochemical variables. Environmental Chemistry, in press