Biography
Dr Robin Beaman
My role as a marine geologist and ocean mapping scientist is to reveal Australia’s underwater landscape. Ocean mapping helps to improve understanding of the geological origin of the seafloor, and explain the distribution of seabed habitats and marine life.
My research goal is to understand the long-term geological and physical processes that have influenced key geomorphic features of the seabed, particularly for the deep Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.
Research projects range from submarine canyons, underwater landslides, submerged reefs, paleo-channels, algal bioherms, cold-water corals, mesophotic (twilight) coral ecosystems, seamounts and habitat mapping.
These projects use GIS, multibeam and singlebeam echo sounders, lidar, sidescan sonar, sub-bottom profilers, photogrammetry, underwater camera imagery, satellite imagery and sediment sampling techniques.
I want to share with you the excitement of scientific discovery in the ocean, and help to promote a more ocean-aware community through this website. Please contact me directly if you want more information about our research projects.
Rob’s Blog
Recent ocean mapping events within Australia’s marine region.
SI 1047 survey in Queensland Plateau
Protecting our shores - congratulations to the Australian Hydrographic Office and EGS Survey for commencing the survey SI 1047, in Australia’s Coral Sea Marine Park. This SI 1047 multibeam survey was proposed following the mapping by the Schmidt Ocean Institute's RV...
Crowdsourced bathy data from Spoilsport
Another successful batch of crowdsourced bathymetry data from adventure dive vessel MV Spoilsport, collected over 100s of line km on the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Next steps: remove tidal component and 'no bottom detection' soundings, then revise 3D...
20 years of ocean mapping
Reflecting on 20 years of ocean mapping, strategically targeting the deep Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea marine parks. I have been involved with some 40 expeditions, many at sea but also remotely, resulting in 305 thousand sq km of new map data within Australia's...