Authors / CoAuthors
Whiteway, T.G. | Heap, A.D. | Anderson, T. | Przeslawski, R.
Abstract
Geoscience Australia conducted a marine mapping survey between October 2008 and January 2009 to document the seabed environments and sub-surface geology of the Zeewyck, Houtman and Exmouth sub-basins and the deep-water Wallaby (Cuvier) Plateau, in Western Australia. The seabed mapping survey was the second and largest mapping survey of the Commonwealth Government's Offshore Energy Security Program. The survey documented seabed environments using multibeam sonar and sub-bottom profiler data, and characterised benthic habitats and biota from towed video footage and seabed samples. Preliminary analysis indicates that the seabed of the three sub-basins comprises carbonate mud that supports relatively sparse infaunal assemblages, while the numerous submarine canyons that incise the basins are characterised by steep rock walls that support sparse assemblages of suspension feeding organisms, such as sponges and gorgonians. Three volcanic (basaltic) peaks on the upper slopes of the sub-basins (rising 200 m above the seabed) were also mapped and surveyed, with relic coral communities recorded within their sediments. Data collected from the survey are being analysed in conjunction with existing environmental data to describe the key seabed habitats and biota for the offshore basins through a series of environmental summaries that will be made available to support future acreage release in the sub-basins. This research was undertaken concurrent to a regional 2D seismic survey to provide a broader understanding of the region. The environmental summaries of these and other Australian Frontier regions will be available to support future acreage release as part of the Offshore Energy Security Program.
Product Type
nonGeographicDataset
eCat Id
70175
Contact for the resource
Custodian
Point of contact
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia
Keywords
-
- External PublicationArticle
- ( Theme )
-
- marine
-
- AU-WA
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
-
- Earth Sciences
-
- Published_Internal
Publication Date
2010-01-01T00:00:00
Creation Date
Security Constraints
Legal Constraints
Status
Purpose
Maintenance Information
unknown
Topic Category
geoscientificInformation
Series Information
Lineage
Unknown
Parent Information
Extents
[-32.0, -21.0, 106.0, 115.0]
Reference System
Spatial Resolution
Service Information
Associations
Downloads and Links
Source Information
Source data not available.