Williams et al. (2009) report on new multibeam sonar bathymetry and underwater video data collected from submarine canyons and seamounts on Australia's southeast continental margin to 'investigate the degree to which geomorphic features act as surrogates for benthic megafaunal biodiversity' (p. 214). The authors describe what they view as deficiencies in the design of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the southeast region of Australia, in which geomorphology information was employed as a surrogate to infer regional-scale patterns of benthic biodiversity. This comment is designed to support and underscore the importance of evaluating MPA designs and the validity of using abiotic surrogates such as geomorphology to infer biodiversity patterns, and seeks to clarify some of the discrepancies in geomorphic terminologies and approaches used between the original study and the Williams et al. (2009) evaluation. It is our opinion that the MPA design criteria used by the Australian Government are incorrectly reported by Williams et al. (2009). In particular, we emphasise the necessity for consistent terminology and approaches when undertaking comparative analyses of geomorphic features. We show that the MPA selection criteria used by the Australian Government addressed the issues of false homogeneity described by Williams et al. (2009), but that final placement of MPAs was based on additional stakeholder considerations. Finally, we argue that although the Williams et al. (2009) study provides valuable information on biological distributions within seamounts and canyons, the hypothesis that geomorphic features (particularly seamounts and submarine canyons) are surrogates for benthic biodiversity is not tested explicitly by their study.

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.

<div>The Abbot Point to Hydrographers Passage bathymetry survey was acquired for the Australian Hydrographic Office (AHO) onboard the RV Escape during the period 6 Oct 2020 – 16 Mar 2021. This was a contracted survey conducted for the Australian Hydrographic Office by iXblue Pty Ltd as part of the Hydroscheme Industry Partnership Program. The survey area encompases a section of Two-Way Route from Abbot Point through Hydrographers Passage QLD. Bathymetry data was acquired using a Kongsberg EM 2040, and processed using QPS QINSy. The dataset was then exported as a 30m resolution, 32 bit floating point GeoTIFF grid of the survey area.</div><div>This dataset is not to be used for navigational purposes.</div>

During 2009-2011 Geoscience Australia completed a petroleum prospectivity study of the offshore northern Perth Basin. Basement is deep and generally not resolved in the reflection seismic data. Recent improvements to the magnetic ship-track database and magnetic anomaly grid allowed an assessment of depth to magnetic sources and estimation of sediment thickness, providing new insight into basement depth and trends. 2D models along several seismic transects and analysis using spectral methods indicate that penetration of the lower sediments by high susceptibility bodies is probable. The reflection seismic evidence for these bodies is not clear, though in some cases they may be associated with faults and structural highs. Where the modelled bodies penetrate the sediments, they are mostly below or within Permian strata, except in the west of the strudy area. A moderate positive magnetic anomaly (the Turtle Dove Ridge) is modelled by massive bodies whose tops are 5-15 km below sea floor. The depth to magnetic basement map highlights sub-basins and structural highs within the northern Perth Basin, with up to 12 km of sediment in the Zeewyck sub-basin.

Close up map of Submarine Cables and northern protection zone around Narrabeen, Sydney. For internal use by ACMA

Geoscience Australia marine reconnaissance survey TAN0713 to the Lord Howe Rise offshore eastern Australia was completed as part of the Federal Government's Offshore Energy Security Program between 7 October and 22 November 2007 using the New Zealand Government's research vessel Tangaroa. The survey was designed to sample key, deep-sea environments on the east Australian margin (a relatively poorly-studied shelf region in terms of sedimentology and benthic habitats) to better define the Capel and Faust basins, which are two major sedimentary basins beneath the Lord Howe Rise. Samples recovered on the survey contribute to a better understanding of the geology of the basins and assist with an appraisal of their petroleum potential. They also add to the inventory of baseline data on deep-sea sediments in Australia. The principal scientific objectives of the survey were to: (1) characterise the physical properties of the seabed associated with the Capel and Faust basins and Gifford Guyot; (2) investigate the geological history of the Capel and Faust basins from a geophysical and geological perspective; and (3) characterise the abiotic and biotic relationships on an offshore submerged plateau, a seamount, and locations where fluid escape features were evident. This dataset comprises chlorin indices measured on seabed sediments (0-2 cm). Some relevant publications which pertain to these datasets include: 1. Heap, A.D., Hughes, M., Anderson, T., Nichol, S., Hashimoto, T., Daniell, J., Przeslawski, R., Payne, D., Radke, L., and Shipboard Party, (2009). Seabed Environments and Subsurface Geology of the Capel and Faust basins and Gifford Guyot, Eastern Australia - post survey report. Geoscience Australia, Record 2009/22, 166pp. 2. Radke, L.C. Heap, A.D., Douglas, G., Nichol, S., Trafford, J., Li, J., and Przeslawski, R. 2011. A geochemical characterization of deep-sea floor sediments of the northern Lord Howe Rise. Deep Sea Research II 58: 909-921

AAM was engaged by DPIPWE to acquire LiDAR data over several coastal areas of Tasmania during March and April 2014. Salt Water River comprises approximately 12.62 km2

Boundary of seabed and exclusive economic zone under Article 3 of the Treaty between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia Establishing an Exclusive Economic Zone Boundary and Certain Seabed Boundaries (1997) Diagram AU/INDON-16 Refer previous GeoCat 65638 Treaty text and coordinates can be found at: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/notinforce/1997/4.html Note that this is a signed text but has not yet entered into force

AAM was engaged by DPIPWE to acquire LiDAR data over several coastal areas of Tasmania during March and April 2014. Adventure Bay comprises approximately 5.5 km2

Geoscience Australia undertook seabed mapping surveys in the eastern Bonaparte Gulf in 2009/2010 to deliver integrated information relevant to marine biodiversity conservation and offshore infrastructure development. The survey objectives were to characterise the physical, chemical and biological properties of the seabed, document potential geohazards and to identify unique or sensitive benthic habitats and collect baseline information on these habitats. Different clustering methods were applied to a 124 sample dataset comprising 74 physical and geochemical variables which describe organic matter (OM) reactivity/quantity/source and geochemical processes relevant to biodiversity. Infauna data were used to assess different groupings because they are an important food source for epibenthic crustaceans and fish and purveyors of ecosystem services including nutrient cycling and mineralisation. Clusters based on physical/geochemical data discriminated infauna better than geomorphic features. Major variations amongst clusters included grainsize and a cross-shelf transition in from authigenic-Mn /As enrichments (inner shelf) to authigenic-P enrichment (outer shelf) which relate to energy levels and sediment oxygen status. Groups comprising raised features had the highest reactive OM concentrations (e.g. based on low chlorin indices and C:N-ratios, and high k) and benthic algal -13C signatures. Surface area normalised OM concentrations higher than continental shelf norms were observed in association with: (i) low -15N, inferring Trichodesmium input; and (ii) pockmarks. The pockmarks are shown to impart bottom-up controls on seabed chemistry and cause inconsistencies between bulk and pigment OM pools. The geochemical data and clustering methods provide insight into ecosystem processes which influence biodiversity patterns in the region. Low Shannon-Wiener diversity occurred in association with low porewater pH and evidence for low sediment redox status and high energy levels, while the highest beta-diversity was observed at euphotic depths. Pair-wise ANOSIM results for infauna are brought together in a summary model which highlights the influence of the clusters on beta diversity.