Physical geography, biological, bathymetry, geomorphology, oceanography, uses, risks spatial data for Solomon Islands marine environment.
Maps showing geomorphic features. The maps were developed by MACBIO as resources for the bioregions workshops in Feb 2018.
The lagoon of Tarawa harbors the richest benthos documented for any Pacific atoll. The biota is strongly influenced by its setting in the equatorial upwelling zone and the unusual geomorphology of the atoll, with a submerged western rim, but largely closed and islet-strewn eastern and southern sides.
The purpose of this paper therefore is to describe aspects of the benthic ecology and biota of Tarawa Atoll and to consider how the unusual setting of the atoll has affected the bentho.
This report describes the high-resolution bathymetric mapping survey carried out in 2004. The survey achieved good coverage of the seafloor from approximately 10 m depth in the nearshore reef slope area, to an average offshore depth of some 2000 m, at an average slope angle of 2. The objective was to investigate the seabed and provide information about water depths around the islands using a multibeam echosounder (MBES).