Milestone #5 in EOMAP’s 20 years history: Mapping what was once considered ‘unmappable’ – the Great Barrier Reef.

These world-first digital maps of thousands of coral reefs were a key step towards identifying, managing and essentially preserving this global marine icon.

Bathymetry maps covering 350.000 km²

Back in 2013, we were part of a true breakthrough. In collaboration with leading German and Australian scientists, we delivered high-resolution, satellite-derived bathymetry maps covering the entire Great Barrier Reef.

For the first time, this ecosystem covering ~350,000 km² and thousands of individual reefs, was mapped consistently from space.

The challenge: Mapping shallow and remote waters

In general, traditional approaches using vessels or airborne surveys were (and still are) limited by cost, logistics, and accessibility. Especially in shallow or remote reef areas, these methods can be challenging.

For decades, nearly half of the Great Barrier Reef’s shallow-water reef areas had remained unmapped due to remoteness and navigational challenges.

Large-scale reef mapping from space

However, EOMAP helped change this. Without any vessel or aircraft support, this world-first dataset with 30-m-resolution provided a complete 3D picture of the planet’s largest coral reef ecosystem. It enabled more effective environmental management. This included water quality modelling to predicting climate change impacts, such as sea level rise and cyclone activity.

Beyond science, the project bridged a crucial gap: It offered both detailed local insights and a comprehensive system-wide view to governments, researchers, and industry alike. Back then, partner Stuart Phinn from the University of Queensland stated: “This information is regarded as essential for any government or company involved with managing the reef environment.”

Apart from the University of Queensland, EOMAP partnered with James Cook University and the Australia Cooperative Research Centre for Spatial Information in this project.

Until today, we continue providing non-invasive, cost-effective technology to protect irreplaceable ecosystems.

Learn More

Read more about this and other reef mapping project here:

• Launch of the Great Barrier Reef Bathymetry in 2013
• Mapping Ningaloo Reef
• See more milestones of EOMAP’s 20 year journey.

Contact

Reach out to Emily Twiggs in Australia or us at the HQ for any mapping solution you might need.