Deakin University

Daniel leads a team using sonar technologies and remotely operated video systems to map over 120,000 hectares of Victoria’s seafloor, revealing its stunning natural features for the first time. These include ‘gardens’ of invertebrates dominated by magnificently coloured sponges, seaweed forests, off-shore seagrass meadows, and submerged river systems and lagoons that would have supported Aboriginal communities over 10,000 years ago.

“The work means we can learn more about the past, identify critical habitat for marine organisms and make more informed decisions to ensure we manage these systems appropriately,” says Daniel. The images also provide a snapshot in time, providing baseline data to assess future impacts associated with climate changes and other human activities.