Benthic Single-Beam Acoustic
Data Specifications
- Area of Coverage: Varies by project. Normally ranges from minimum depths of -1 meter to -30 meters. Project extents range from individual bay systems to smaller focus areas within larger projects in Delaware and Florida.
- Date(s) Available: Vary by location, ranging from 1999 to 2001
- Format: ESRI point shapefile
- Resolution: Planimetric resolution is 10 percent of the depth
- Minimal Mapping Unit: No minimum mapping unit for this type of data, but interpolated grids would have a specific cell size determined by transect spacing and habitat heterogeneity
- Accuracy: 85 percent for all points
Overview
RoxAnn transect lines in Rehoboth Bay, Delaware. Orange areas are unconsolidated sediments and green areas are macroalgae.
The NOAA Coastal Services Center's single-beam acoustic benthic habitat data were developed using the RoxAnn seabed classification instrument. Multiple echo returns were analyzed for bottom hardness and roughness. These parameters were used, along with calibration information, to classify the substrate and identify biological communities. Single-beam acoustic data are often used to examine transition zones between habitats or in areas too turbid and shallow for other technologies. A non-tidally corrected depth was also recorded.