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MAPPING SEABED HABITATS
OFF wEST AUSTRALIA SS07/05 Jul 05
[Introduction] [The
Voyage] [The Voyagers] [Ship
to shore]
Introduction

The marine research vessel, Southern Surveyor.
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The aim of the Voyage is to characterise seabed (benthic) ecosystems,
on the continental shelf and slope, at water depths of 100 to 1500
metres. The survey will be conducted between Albany and Dampier
off the coast of Western Australia from onboard the Southern
Surveyor.
Seabed habitats in this region have not been mapped,
and their invertebrate fauna (including crustaceans, corals, echinoderms,
sponges and molluscs) is largely unknown.
Acoustic (multibeam sonar) and photographic (high
resolution digital video-based methods) will be used to map and
film seabed habitats.
A suite of sleds and grabs will also be used to
collect animals and seabed samples, for physical verification. However,
the physical collection will be primarily focussed upon the later,
section two, of the survey.
Updated:
29/03/07
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