Integrating Charting and Acoustic Habitat Research

Sea Technology, Aug 2008 by Lomnicky, Jay, McConnaughey, Robert

NOAA is carefully reviewing the 2006 data to gain insight about the best standard operating procedure for simultaneous acquisition of backscatter and bathymetry.

Accurate tide-zone modeling may be difficult for offshore waters. In this case, the nearest continually operating tide gauge was located in Unalaska, Alaska, nearly 350 nautical miles from the northern limits of the survey area. The absence of water-level corrections reduced the quality of the collected bathymetry data.

For future offshore missions, NOAA is investigating the feasibility of installing a supplemental tide gauge and will implement a commercial satellite-corrected global positioning system to support mapping the ellipsoid to the chart.

Similarly, the bathymetry data were affected by the subsurface pool of frigid water (less than 2� C) in the EBS resulting from sea ice melt.1 Continuous or more frequent sound-speed profiles using the FFCPT or a traditional soundspeed measuring device with the MVP would help eliminate the characteristic "smiles" and "frowns" due to erroneous sound-speed correctors.

Overall, the effects of these deviations on data quality were small, while the benefits of integrated mapping were substantial, suggesting future collaborative efforts will be beneficial to both the hydrographic and fisheries branches of NOAA.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to current and former RACE members Cynthia Yeung, Mark Amend and Keith Smith; Dr. Lloyd Huff with UNH CCOM; the officers and crew of NOAA ship Fairweather; and specialists from the NUVVC, Keyport.

Reference to any specific commercial products, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the U.S. government.

The views and opinions of authors do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. government and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

References

1. Yeung, C, and R.A. McConnaughey, "Using Acoustic Backscatter from a Side Scan Sonar to Explain Fish and Invertebrate Distributions-A Case Study in Bristol Bay, Alaska," ICES Journal of Marine Science, vol. 65, pp. 242-254, 2008.

2. Barker, B. A., I. Helmond, N. Bax, A. Williams, S. Davenport and V. Wadley, "A Vessel-Towed Camera Platform for Surveying Seafloor Habitats of the Continental Shelf," Continental Shelf Research, vol. 19, pp. 1, 161-1, 170, 1999.

3. Blackwood, D, K. Parolski and P. Valentine, "Seabed Observation and Sampling System," U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet, FS-142-00, 2000.

4. Wyllie-Echeverria, T., and K. Ohtani, "Seasonal Sea Ice Variability and the Bering Sea Ecosystem," Dynamics of the Bering Sea, University of Alaska Sea Grant Press, pp. 435-445, 1999.

By Lt. Jay Lomnicky, NOAA

Benthic Mapping Specialist

and

Dr. Robert McConnaughey

Research Fishery Biologist

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Seattle, Washington

Lt. Jay Lomnicky is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) commissioned officer who is currently assigned to the Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering (RACE) division of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. His responsibilities include providing hydrographic support to RACE, technical support to the Fowed Automatically Compensating Observation System and acting as a liaison between NOAA line offices involved in FISHPAC.