Hobart

Seminar Abstract

Tuesday 2 December 2008, **11.00am** (Tas time) NOTE EARLIER TIME
CSIRO Auditorium, Hobart

Vanessa Lucieer
UTAS TAFI Postdoc
CERF Hub for Marine Biodiversity

Mapping seabed texture homogeneity using multibeam backscatter data: Can we use it as a surrogate for biodiversity assessment?

This presentation will explore methods to incorporate both the physical and biological factors influencing seafloor texture at various spatial scales in order to accurately assess how and why differences in texture in multibeam bathymetry and backscatter images indicate differences in substrate characteristics and seabed habitats. The approach has the potential to characterise marine habitats over large areas using an objective method of identification and classification and saving significant computational effort. Working examples are given for Cook Strait New Zealand and Ningaloo Marine Park Western Australia.

Understanding the relationship between seafloor topography and substrate texture in marine ecosystems will eventually underpin biodiversity assessment and influence the success of ocean management in describing the biodiversity of our oceans. The methodology has the potential to be applicable to other seafloor types worldwide, and will advance the research that aims to answer the fundamental questions relating to the role of high resolution acoustic data in explaining patterns in biodiversity.

Seminar Recording

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Location:
CSIRO = Marine Laboratories Auditorium, Castray Esplanade, Hobart

For further information, or to schedule a seminar, contact:
To schedule a seminar, contact:
Clothilde Langlais, (Oceanographic seminars) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (03) 6232 5399
Natalie Kelly, (Biology/Modelling seminars) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research 0438 452 483
Jillian Enraght-Moony, (seminar administrator) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (03) 6232 5320
Communications Manager, Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC (03) 6226 2265
Margaret Hazelwood, Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies (IASOS) University of Tasmania (03) 6226 2971

Last updated 21/07/09