Deakin Expands Work in Apollo Marine Park with Parks Australia

Using state of the art sonar equipment, a team from Deakin University's marine mapping group scanned part of the seafloor in the Apollo Marine Park, south of Cape Otway in south-west Victoria. Now the project expand to include a larger area of the marine reserve.

Image Courtesy: Ierodiaconou

Apollo Marine Park, south of Cape Otway in south-west Victoria has excited researchers as the first phase of mapping revealed reef and likely hard bottom with variable complexity, which is a continuation of features previously mapped within state waters off the Cape Otway headland. There was also evidence of cemented sediment with sections of hard bottom covered in a sediment veneer. The western section of the mapped area consisted of hard and consolidated sedimentary bedforms.

The initial mapping was focused on the northern portion pf the park. Excitingly, the Deakin Marine Mapping Group now plan to expanded the mapping area to the south. Associate Professor Daniel Ierodiaconou said that ‘not only is this information critical to our understanding of the marine park in Bass Strait, it will also help Parks Australia target future research efforts including where to deploy underwater cameras, so that we can learn more about these rarely seen marine communities and individual species far below the water’s surface.

And director of National Parks and head of Parks Australia, Dr James Findlay, said that ‘detailed mapping of the seafloor and other science is fundamental’ in conserving biodiversity and providing optimal socio-economic benefits for the community. Many thanks to iXblue and Parks Australia who in partnership with the Deakin University team, conducted multibeam sonar surveys aboard Deakin’s research vessel, MV Yolla.

Check out this video for more information.

Check out this link for more information about the first stage mapping project.

Last edited on the May 19th, 2021.