Expanding seabed horizons: extending Seamap Australia tools and analytics for marine managers

Background Efficient and effective management Australia's marine environment requires up-to-date and easily accessible information. Current challenges include determining where to best invest resources for data collection and processing to enhance our knowledge of seafloor habitats. Seamap Australia (https://seamapaustralia.org/map) - an innovative open-source software tool - addresses these challenges by providing access to integrated, summarised, near-real-time seafloor data. Methods Seamap Australia (Seamap) was initially developed as a national repository for seafloor habitat data. New developments have extended this functionality to include a map-based decision-support portal for diverse stakeholders. This tool integrates data collections from a multitude of sources and research disciplines, synthesising it into a unified, user-friendly format, while maintaining full data provenance and currency. The software was developed in consultation experts from the marine science community. Results Seamap has proven to be an invaluable asset for marine managers, offering a comprehensive overview of critical habitats and areas under environmental threat and facilitating identification of knowledge gaps for prioritisation of research investment. Seamap equips managers with an intuitive, transparent gateway to relevant research data that aligns with national standards and objectives for marine data stewardship. Conclusion Seamap exemplifies the transformative potential of open data in addressing complex environmental problems. By providing real-time, trusted, and repeatable information, it facilitates informed decision-making for the protection and management of Australia's marine environment through the provision of novel analytics. This tool showcases how innovative software can make marine research accessible and understandable to all, opening up vast possibilities for enhancing management of the marine estate.