Studies utilising high-resolution multibeam swath bathymetry datasets to understand the glacial evolution of the previously glaciated Antarctic continental margin are limited, and are particularly meagre for the East Antarctic Continental shelf. Here we present an interpretation of the seafloor geomorphology based on a new swath bathymetry dataset from the shallow-water marine environment of the Windmill Islands, adjacent to the Australian Antarctic research station, Casey. This high resolution (1 m) dataset permits visualisation of geomorphological features preserved on the seafloor in unparalleled detail. The seafloor is dominated by an assemblage of bedrock, glacial and post-glacial features, providing new insight into the behaviour of the ice-sheet in the region during past glacial episodes and its subsequent retreat to present-day conditions. Interpretation of the submarine geomorphology reveals five dominant features: (1) basement fault systems and bedrock `highs (2) meltwater channels, (3) streamlined sub-glacial landforms, (4) moraine ridges and (5) isolated basins and depressions. Distinctive NW-SE trending channels and linear features that represent brittle bedrock fault systems are clearly evident. These sub-parallel basement bedrock faults or joints have been preferentially eroded and widened by glacial action to form narrow channels and preserve typical `U-shaped profiles. A secondary set of SW to WSW trending linear features are characterised by broad eroded channels. The general orientation of the coastline and channels in the region suggest that these linear features fundamentally control the regional coastal and seafloor geomorphology. Regions of bedrock highs, comprised of submarine outcrops of crystalline metamorphic basement, are characterised by complex, rugged and variable topography, forming steep knolls, small shoals and reefs. Numerous channel networks have been incised into crystalline bedrock highs and their meandering nature, orientation and geometry are consistent with meltwater channels formed by subglacial hydrological flow under considerable hydrostatic pressure. They likely formed during a period when the ice-sheet was expanded and grounded over the areas of offshore crystalline bedrock, possibly during the late Pleistocene Glacial Maximum (LGM) or earlier glaciations. Glacial lineations characterised by subdued sub-parallel linear ridges are preserved in basins and appear to have formed from moulding of unconsolidated sediments by overriding ice. The orientation of the lineations are consistent with formation during westward expansion of the Law Dome ice-sheet onto the continental shelf during the LGM. Regular and closely-spaced arcuate moraine ridge sets are preserved mostly within the prominent NW-trending U-shaped channels. These features appear to be a sequence of recessional moraines or push moraine banks recording slow or episodic retreat of channelized valley glaciers or outlet ice-streams which appear strongly controlled by the local bathymetry. There are several enclosed basins and shallow depressions between bedrock highs with varying degrees of post-glacial sedimentary infill. There is little evidence of reworking of sediments by currents and as a result, the glacial features in this dataset are well preserved. Interpretation of submarine glacial landforms using high-resolution swath bathymetry, integrated with existing information of local ice-sheet evolution from terrestrial studies, allows us to enhance our understanding of the ice-sheet dynamics in the Windmill Islands region.

The data set provides outlines for the maximum extent of geomorphic units for Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone, including the offshore island territories, but not the Australian Antarctic Territory. These data were compiled as part of Geoscience Australia's integrated digital information system to provide improved accessibility and knowledge relating to the environmental management of Australia's oceans resources. The geomorphic units are to be used as surrogates for benthic habitats and can be best applied to the construction of bioregionalisations of the seabed. The data set also includes the name of units in the attribute table, where known, the source(s) of the names, feature codes and province codes as well as the area and perimeter of each unit. The data are accompanied by Geoscience Australia Record 2003/30. Updated October 2006.

This record contains processed and topographically corrected Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) data (.segy, .bmps) and summary shapefile collected on fieldwork at Old Bar Beach, NSW for the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Project, Resilience to Clustered Disaster Events on the Coast - Storm Surge. The data was collected from 3 - 5 March 2015 using a MALA ProEx GPR system with a 250 MHz shielded antennae. The aim of the field work was to identify and define a minimum thickness for the beach and dune systems, and where possible depth to any identifiable competent substrate (e.g. bedrock) or pre-Holocene surface which may influence the erosion potential of incident wave energy. Surface elevation data was co-acquired and used to topographically correct the GPR profiles. This dataset is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia.

The Petrel Sub-basin Marine Environmental Survey GA-0335, (SOL5463) was undertaken by the RV Solander during May 2012 as part of the Commonwealth Government's National Low Emission Coal Initiative (NLECI). The survey was undertaken as a collaboration between the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and 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. This dataset comprises an interpreted geomorphic map. Interpreted local-scale geomorphic maps were produced for each survey area in the Petrel Sub-basin using multibeam bathymetry and backscatter grids at 2 m resolution and bathymetric derivatives (e.g. slope; 1-m contours). Five geomorphic units; bank, plain, ridge, terrace and valley, were identified and mapped using definitions suitable for interpretation at the local scale (nominally 1:10 000). Maps and polygons were manual digitised in ArcGIS using the spatial analyst and 3D analyst toolboxes.

Flythrough movie showing the bathymetry of the shelf surrounding Lord Howe Island (NSW), with examples of seabed habitats and biota. The bathymetric image is derived from merged grids (8 m and 40 m resolution) that incorporates multibeam sonar collected in 2008 using a 30 kHz Simrad EM300 system on RV Southern Surveyor, legacy sonar data from various sources and satellite-derived bathymetry (grid development detailed in GA Record 2010/36). Key features on the shelf bathymetry include a drowned reef that encircles the island and intervening areas of sediment-covered basins. Lord Howe Island shelf is a study site for the Marine Biodiversity Research Hub, funded through the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) programme. Further information is provided in GA Record 2010/26.

The Davis Coastal Seabed Mapping Survey, Antarctica (GA-4301 / AAS2201 / HI468) was conducted on the Australian Antarctic Division workboat Howard Burton during February-March 2010 as a component of Australian Antarctic Science (AAS) Project 2201 - Natural Variability and Human Induced Change on Antarctic Nearshore Marine Benthic Communities. The survey was undertaken as a collaboration between Geoscience Australia, the Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Hydrographic Service (Royal Australian Navy). The survey acquired multibeam bathymetry and backscatter datasets from the nearshore region of the Vestfold Hills around Davis Station, Antarctica. This dataset comprises an interpreted geomorphic map produced for the central survey area using multibeam bathymetry and backscatter grids and their derivatives (e.g. slope, contours). Six geomorphic units; basin, valley, embayment, pediment, bedrock outcrop and scarp were identified and mapped using definitions suitable for interpretation at the local scale (nominally 1:10 000). Polygons were created using a combination of automatic extraction and manual digitisation in ArcGIS. For further information on the geomorphic mapping methods and a description of each unit, please refer to OBrien P.E., Smith J., Stark J.S., Johnstone G., Riddle M., Franklin D. (2015) Submarine geomorphology and sea floor processes along the coast of Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica, from multibeam bathymetry and video data. Antarctic Science 27:566-586. This dataset is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia.

In May 2013, Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) undertook a collaborative seabed mapping survey (GA0340/ SOL5754) on the Leveque Shelf, a distinct geological province within the Browse Basin, offshore Western Australia. The purpose of the survey was to acquire geophysical and biophysical data on seabed environments over a previously identified potential CO2 injection site to better understand the overlying seabed habitats and to assess potential for fluid migration to the seabed. Mapping and sampling was undertaken across six areas using multibeam and single beam echosounders, sub-bottom profilers, sidescan sonar, underwater towed-video, gas sensors, water column profiler, grab samplers, and vibrocorer. Over 1070 km2 of seabed and water column was mapped using the multibeam and single beam echosounder, in water depths ranging between 40 and 120 m. The sub-surface was investigated using the multichannel and the parametric sub-bottom profilers along lines totalling 730 km and 1547 km in length respectively. Specific seabed features were investigated over 44 line km using the sidescan sonar and physically and sampled at 58 stations. Integration of this newly acquired data with existing seismic data will provide new insights into the geology of the Leveque Shelf. This work will contribute to the Australian Government's National CO2 Infrastructure Plan (NCIP) by providing key seabed environmental and geological data to better inform the assessment of the CO2 storage potential in this area of the Browse Basin. This catalogue entry refers to an interpreted geomorphic map, mapped at 1:10 000 scale. Geomorphic mapping was completed using a combination of semi-automated feature extraction and hand digitisation from bathymetry and backscatter grids collected during the survey along with their derivatives and reference to broader scale geomorphic maps (Heap and Harris, 2008).

Macrotidal coastal environments are characterised by complex patterns of sediment transport that have been poorly documented in the international literature. Of particular environmental concern is the transport of sediment from tropical coastal catchments, through estuaries and into coral reef environments. Consequently, knowledge of the distribution of benthic environments, and transport pathways of both fine and coarse sediment is required for the effective management of this issue. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is located on the continental shelf adjacent to the coast of tropical northeastern Australia. The GBR comprises an outer coral-dominated environment that encloses a large lagoon dominated by catchment-derived sediments. Keppel Bay is a macrotidal environment that represents the interface of the large catchment of the Fitzroy River with the southern GBR lagoon. We classified the benthic sediments of Keppel Bay into five distinct facies based on the statistical analysis of physical and geochemical sediment data and modelled seabed shear stress (the influence of waves and tidal currents). Multibeam sonar was employed to determine bedload sediment transport directions as indicated by bedform geometry, and to identify areas of sediment accumulation and erosion. Our findings suggest that much of the catchment-derived fine sediment accumulates in the mouth of the Fitzroy River. Outer Keppel Bay is dominated by relict palaeochannels, and the shoreward transport of sediment from the continental shelf. The Fitzroy River-Keppel Bay system provides a useful facies model for a seasonal, sediment-starved macrotidal depositional setting in which bedrock configuration and relict features dominate geomorphology, and restrict processes of modern sediment accumulation.

Dense coral-sponge communities on the upper continental slope off George V Land have been identified as a Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem in the Antarctic. The challenge is now to understand their likely distribution. The CEAMARC survey found these communities at sites on the upper slope in depths of 570 - 950m. Based on these results we propose some working hypotheses defining the physical settings suitable for such assemblages. Icebergs scour to 500m in this region and the lack of such disturbance is probably a factor allowing growth of rich benthic ecosystems. In addition, the richest communities are found in the heads of canyons. We suggest two possible oceanographic mechanisms linking abundant filter feeder communities and canyon heads. The canyons in which they occur receive descending plumes of Antarctic Bottom Water formed on the George V shelf and these water masses could entrain abundant food for the benthos. Maps of water properties measured during the Collaborative East Antarctic Marine Census (CEAMARC) survey provide some support for this idea. Another possibility is that the canyons harbouring rich benthos are those that cut the shelf break. Such canyons are known sites of high productivity in other areas because of a number of oceanographic factors, including strong current flow and increased mixing, and the abrupt, complex topography. These hypotheses provide a framework for the identification of areas where there is a higher likelihood of encountering these Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems.

This web service contains marine geospatial data held by Geoscience Australia. It includes bathymetry and backscatter gridded data plus derived layers, bathymetry coverage information, bathmetry collection priority and planning areas, marine sediment data and other derived products. It also contains the 150 m and optimal resolution bathymetry, 5 m sidescan sonar (SSS) and synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) data collected during phase 1 and 2 marine surveys conducted by the Governments of Australia, Malaysia and the People's Republic of China for the search of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean. This web service allows exploration of the seafloor topography through the compilation of multibeam sonar and other marine datasets acquired.