Seagrass cover map for the optically complex waters of Moreton Bay, Queensland

The aim of this study was to create a seagrass presence/absence map for the optically complex waters of Moreton Bay. The capability to map seagrass meadows in waters of varying clarity using a consistent and repeatable method is an invaluable resource for conservation and management of seagrass regionally and globally. The map was created using an adaptation of a Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud processing and machine learning algorithm which for seagrass, utilized citizen science spot check field data, Landsat 8 OLI imagery pulled directly from GEE, a bathymetry layer (30 m), slope derived from depth and a coral mask. This dataset consists of a shapefile that shows seagrass presence (≥ 25 % cover) and substrate mapped simultaneously for the turbid waters of the Western Bay coastline and the optically clear waters of the Eastern Banks, Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. This record contains a snapshot of the data taken for use in Seamap Australia (a national benthic habitat map; https://seamapaustralia.org). View the original record at: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.937501