Title

NSW Estuary Ecosystems 2002

Data Quality Statement

Name: Data Quality Statement

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

DQS for NSW Estuarine Ecosystems 2002

Function: download

Marine EstuaryEcosystems2002

Name: Marine EstuaryEcosystems2002

Protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download

Description:

Download package for Marine Estuary Ecosystems 2002

Function: download

Code

d1a9bc3f-bd48-4776-a461-f163fb87668b

Name

ISO 19115

Edition

2016

Type

vector

Code identifying the spatial reference system

4283

Topic category

Title

ANZLIC Search Words

Reference date

2008-05-16

Coordinate reference system

Authority code

urn:ogc:def:cs:EPSG::

Code identifying the coordinate reference system

5711

End position

N/A

Contact info

Contact position

Data Broker

Organisation name

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Telephone number

131555

Email address

data.broker@environment.nsw.gov.au

Web address

https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/dcceew

Responsible party role

pointOfContact

Lineage

Mapping; The environmental classification adopted for the study, contains classes for each of the five major estuary ecosystems, the four ocean ecosystems classified by depth, and the nine habitat surrogates (mangrove, seagrass, saltmarsh, subtidal sediment, beach, intertidal rocky shore, subtidal reef and island). ; ; NSW Estuary Ecosystems; Coastal waterbodies from the NSW Waterways GIS coast coverage (1:25,000 scale) were classified into five main groups according to a classification of NSW estuaries (Roy et al. 2001)which identified five main types of coastal waterbody based on coastal geology, entrance type and tidal exchange. Four sedimentary zones (marine tidal delta, central mud basin, fluvial delta and riverine channel/alluvial plain) were also identified within each waterbody. These groups and zones reflect characteristic ecosystems responding to variation in morphology, hydrology and sediments.Limitations: The large-scale, whole estuary units do not address finer scale variation among tributaries and sedimentary zones.; ; NSW Ocean Ecosystems; The continental shelf was partitioned into four depth zones 0-20 m, 20-60 m and 60-200 m with a fourth zone (>200 m) extending beyond the outer edge of the continental shelf (Table 7a and 9). Zones were mapped directly from the Waterway Authority's GIS layer of depth contours (derived from Australian Hydrographic Office data). The number and location of zones is not based on any defined ecological boundary, but rather reflects general patterns in the cross shelf variation in oceanography, sediments and biological diversity. Limitations:; Using depth alone to predict ocean biodiversity is an oversimplification of a complex environment. ; ; NSW Marine Habitats; Seagrass, Mangrove and Saltmarsh Habitats: Distributions of seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh habitats were estimated from a GIS coverage digitised by the NPWS from maps of estuarine vegetation produced by West et al. (1985). ; Intertidal Rocky Shore Habitats: A linear GIS coverage of intertidal rocky shore was prepared by defining lengths of rocky shore along the AMBIS (Australian Land Information Group's Australian Marine Baseline Information System) high water coastline using 1:25,000 topographic maps provided by the NSW Land and Property Information Centre (LPI). Areas of intertidal rocky shore were mapped as the difference between high and low water AMBIS coastlines and 1:10,000 scale aerial photographs provided by DLWC. ; Intertidal Beach Habitats: A linear GIS coverage of the length of individual ocean beaches was derived by splitting the AMBIS high water coastline according to digitised 1: 25,000 topographic maps (provided by LPI). Individual beaches were then classified according to Short (1993). Areas of intertidal beaches were mapped as the difference between the AMBIS high and low water GIS ocean coastlines and individual beaches identified using 1:10,000 scale aerial photographs (provided by DLWC).; Island Habitats: Islands and rocks were mapped using the AMBIS GIS low water coastline and emergent rocks. An 100 m buffer was extended around the low water mark to represent the pelagic zone around islands and rocks. These areas were categorised into those within 1 km of the shore and those greater than 1 km offshore.; Subtidal Reef Habitats: Two separate methods were used to define prominent reef habitats. Two additional reef mapping methods were investigated, but were not fully implemented in the assessment. Shallow near-shore reef systems were mapped from existing unrectified 1:10,000 - 1:25,000 scale aerial photographs, held by the NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation. Reef boundaries and intervening sediment patches were mapped to a depth of 10-20 m depending on sea conditions at the time the photographs were taken. This coverage of mostly inshore reefs was supplemented (particularly in deeper offshore waters) with an additional GIS map coverage derived from the commercially available nautical chart series (Australian Hydrographic Service, 1:150,000 scale charts). ; Subtidal Sediment Habitats:N earshore subtidal sediment was mapped using aerial photo interpretation as described for the mapping of nearshore subtidal reef systems. However no attempt was made to classify sediment types within the nearshore zone or to delineate the remaining areas of soft sediment beyond the nearshore zone or in estuaries as little digital information was available.

Limitations on public access

Effective date

2001-01-01

Contact position

Data Broker

Organisation name

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Telephone number

131555

Email address

data.broker@environment.nsw.gov.au

Web address

https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/dcceew

Responsible party role

pointOfContact

Contact position

Data Broker

Organisation name

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Telephone number

131555

Email address

data.broker@environment.nsw.gov.au

Web address

https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/dcceew

Responsible party role

pointOfContact