New: Undersea Maps Reveal Great Barrier Reef in Unparalleled Detail

From Geoscience Australia:

High-resolution sea floor maps released today show 1.5 million square kilometres of Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef in unprecedented detail.
The maps are the product of a collaborative project between James Cook University, Geoscience Australia and the Australian Hydrographic Service. This is the first high-resolution mapping of the sea floor of the entire Great Barrier Reef.

JCU’s research leader, Dr Robin Beaman, initiated the project in 2009.
“The Great Barrier Reef data is the first in a series of ’30-metre’ datasets that will be released as part of this project. This represents the highest resolution depth model of the Great Barrier Reef, to date,” he said.
“We’re using cutting-edge scientific techniques to combine historical and newly-acquired bathymetry (undersea mapping) data of the entire northern coastline of Australia,” he said.
“Along with the quality of the new data we’ve acquired, we’ve also been able to access undersea mapping data collected over the past few decades by government and university research programs.”
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The series of datasets produced through this project will provide a detailed view of the marine geography of Australia’s northern coastline, providing greater certainty on the location and extent of the country’s maritime boundaries. The datasets will support safety of life at sea, the enforcement of law, and government operations.

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