Australia’s seabed is largely unexplored, with less than 30% of the entire seafloor mapped at high resolution. The need for improved mapping coverage of the seafloor to deliver integrated products that describe bathymetry, geology and habitat, is essential to identify marine resources, assess geologic hazards, characterise biodiverse and vulnerable environments, create baselines for monitoring change, and generate knowledge to inform policy. Recent seafloor mapping progress has been achieved through new initiatives for collaboration and co-ordination, and the development of standards for acquisition. This session invites contributions on all aspects of seabed mapping that report on (i) recent co-ordination and collaboration initiatives, (ii) recent mapping efforts to support marine science, (iii) new insights into seabed habitat types and distributions, and (iv) new knowledge on seabed processes and geohazards. .
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