A Rapid Method to Characterize Seabed Habitats and Associated Macro-Organisms

Authors / CoAuthors

Anderson, T. | Cochrane, G.R. | Roberts, D.A. | Chezar, H. | Chatcher, G.

Abstract

This study presents a method for rapidly collecting, processing, and interrogating real-time abiotic and biotic seabed data to determine seabed habitat classifications. This is done from data collected over a large area of an acoustically derived seabed map, along multidirectional transects, using a towed small camera-sled. The seabed, within the newly designated Point Harris Marine Reserve on the northern coast of San Miguel Island, California, was acoustically imaged using sidescan sonar, then ground-truthed using a towed small camera-sled. Seabed characterizations were made from video observations, and were logged to a laptop computer (PC) in real time. To ground-truth the acoustic mosaic, and to characterize abiotic and biotic aspects of the seabed, a three-tiered characterization scheme was employed that described the substratum type, physical structure (i.e., bedform or vertical relief), and the occurrence of benthic macrofauna and flora. A crucial advantage of the method described here, is that preliminary seabed characterisations can be interrogated and mapped over the sidescan mosaic and other seabed information within hours of data collection. This ability to rapidly process seabed data is invaluable to scientists and managers, particularly in modifying concurrent or planning subsequent surveys.

Product Type

nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

69217

Contact for the resource

Custodian

EGD

Owner

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)

Custodian

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia

Keywords

External PublicationConference Paper

( Theme )

marine

USCA

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Earth Sciences

Published_External

Publication Date

2008-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem

Classification - unclassified

Legal Constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence

Access - license

Use - license

Status

Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Lineage

Unknown

Parent Information

Extents

[33.72, 34.4, -120.54, -119.2]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

Service Information

Associations

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