The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES), as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping, has fa... more The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES), as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping, has facilitated integrative approaches towards nautical charting, benthic habitat mapping, and seafloor geotechnical surveys. The combined acoustic response of the seabed and the subsurface can vary with MBES operating frequency. At worst, this can make for difficulties in merging the results from different mapping systems or mapping campaigns. However, at best, having observations of the same seafloor at different acoustic wavelengths allows for increased discriminatory power in seabed classification and characterization efforts. Here, we present the results from trials of a multispectral multibeam system (R2Sonic 2026 MBES, manufactured by R2Sonic, LLC, Austin, TX, USA) in the Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia. In this system, the frequency can be modified on a ping-by-ping basis, which can provide multi-spectral acoustic measurements with a single pass of the survey platform. The surveys were conducted at three operating frequencies (100, 200, and 400 kHz), and the resulting backscatter mosaics revealed differences in parts of the survey area between the frequencies. Ground validation surveys using a combination of underwater video transects and benthic grab and core sampling confirmed that these differences were due to coarse, dredge spoil material underlying a surface cover of mud. These innovations offer tremendous potential for application in the area of seafloor geological and benthic habitat mapping.
The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES) as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping has faci... more The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES) as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping has facilitated integrative approaches towards nautical charting, benthic habitat mapping, and seafloor geotechnical surveys. The combined acoustic response of the seabed and the subsurface can vary with MBES operating frequency. At worst, this can make for difficulties in merging results from different mapping systems or mapping campaigns. At best, however, having observations of the same seafloor at different acoustic wavelengths allows for increased discriminatory power in seabed classification and characterization efforts. Here, we present results from early trials of a multispectral multibeam system (R2Sonic 2026 MBES) in the Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia. In this system, the frequency can be modified on a ping-by-ping basis, which can provide multispectral acoustic measurements with a single pass of the survey platform. We demonstrate how this capability provides improved seafloor discrimination at this site based on the different frequency responses and seafloor sediment characteristics. These innovations offer tremendous potential for application in the area of seafloor geological and benthic habitat mapping.
marine ecosystems-particularly in large ecosystems in need of adequate conservation strategies, s... more marine ecosystems-particularly in large ecosystems in need of adequate conservation strategies, such as in Canadian waters-developing approaches to synthesize multiple datasets to meet management needs is warranted.
Dense aggregations of horse mussels exist in the Bay of Fundy and are thought to be associated wi... more Dense aggregations of horse mussels exist in the Bay of Fundy and are thought to be associated with high biodiversity compared to surrounding habitats. Previous research show correlations between these aggregations and long narrow flow-parallel bedforms. In this study, high resolution seafloor photographs were compared to multibeam echosounder data to investigate benthic community and biodiversity patterns across the Bay of Fundy. Biophysical seafloor types (benthoscapes) were mapped with 71% accuracy using Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) with fuzzy c-means classification. Community patterns were found to shift gradually across benthoscapes and mega-epifaunal biodiversity was highest in areas of mixed sediments and silty gravel and anemones. Horse mussels occurred mainly within the sand benthoscape where the flow parallel bedforms exist. Community patterns were also assessed at fine scales (5 m) using a by-eye interpretation of the flow parallel bedforms, where gradational shifts across the bedforms and surrounding areas were evident and abundance of horse mussels were found to be significantly greater on the bedforms. These findings will ultimately facilitate decisions around fisheries management, marine spatial planning, and monitoring of the horse mussel habitats and the surrounding benthoscapes within the Bay of Fundy.
The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES), as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping, has fa... more The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES), as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping, has facilitated integrative approaches towards nautical charting, benthic habitat mapping, and seafloor geotechnical surveys. The combined acoustic response of the seabed and the subsurface can vary with MBES operating frequency. At worst, this can make for difficulties in merging the results from different mapping systems or mapping campaigns. However, at best, having observations of the same seafloor at different acoustic wavelengths allows for increased discriminatory power in seabed classification and characterization efforts. Here, we present the results from trials of a multispectral multibeam system (R2Sonic 2026 MBES, manufactured by R2Sonic, LLC, Austin, TX, USA) in the Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia. In this system, the frequency can be modified on a ping-by-ping basis, which can provide multi-spectral acoustic measurements with a single pass of the survey platform. The surveys were cond...
marine ecosystems-particularly in large ecosystems in need of adequate conservation strategies, s... more marine ecosystems-particularly in large ecosystems in need of adequate conservation strategies, such as in Canadian waters-developing approaches to synthesize multiple datasets to meet management needs is warranted.
The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES) as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping has faci... more The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES) as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping has facilitated integrative approaches towards nautical charting, benthic habitat mapping, and seafloor geotechnical surveys. The combined acoustic response of the seabed and the subsurface can vary with MBES operating frequency. At worst, this can make for difficulties in merging results from different mapping systems or mapping campaigns. At best, however, having observations of the same seafloor at different acoustic wavelengths allows for increased discriminatory power in seabed classification and characterization efforts. Here, we present results from early trials of a multispectral multibeam system (R2Sonic 2026 MBES) in the Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia. In this system, the frequency can be modified on a ping-by-ping basis, which can provide multispectral acoustic measurements with a single pass of the survey platform. We demonstrate how this capability provides improved seafloor discrimination at this site based on the different frequency responses and seafloor sediment characteristics. These innovations offer tremendous potential for application in the area of seafloor geological and benthic habitat mapping.
The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES), as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping, has fa... more The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES), as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping, has facilitated integrative approaches towards nautical charting, benthic habitat mapping, and seafloor geotechnical surveys. The combined acoustic response of the seabed and the subsurface can vary with MBES operating frequency. At worst, this can make for difficulties in merging the results from different mapping systems or mapping campaigns. However, at best, having observations of the same seafloor at different acoustic wavelengths allows for increased discriminatory power in seabed classification and characterization efforts. Here, we present the results from trials of a multispectral multibeam system (R2Sonic 2026 MBES, manufactured by R2Sonic, LLC, Austin, TX, USA) in the Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia. In this system, the frequency can be modified on a ping-by-ping basis, which can provide multi-spectral acoustic measurements with a single pass of the survey platform. The surveys were conducted at three operating frequencies (100, 200, and 400 kHz), and the resulting backscatter mosaics revealed differences in parts of the survey area between the frequencies. Ground validation surveys using a combination of underwater video transects and benthic grab and core sampling confirmed that these differences were due to coarse, dredge spoil material underlying a surface cover of mud. These innovations offer tremendous potential for application in the area of seafloor geological and benthic habitat mapping.
The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES) as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping has faci... more The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES) as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping has facilitated integrative approaches towards nautical charting, benthic habitat mapping, and seafloor geotechnical surveys. The combined acoustic response of the seabed and the subsurface can vary with MBES operating frequency. At worst, this can make for difficulties in merging results from different mapping systems or mapping campaigns. At best, however, having observations of the same seafloor at different acoustic wavelengths allows for increased discriminatory power in seabed classification and characterization efforts. Here, we present results from early trials of a multispectral multibeam system (R2Sonic 2026 MBES) in the Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia. In this system, the frequency can be modified on a ping-by-ping basis, which can provide multispectral acoustic measurements with a single pass of the survey platform. We demonstrate how this capability provides improved seafloor discrimination at this site based on the different frequency responses and seafloor sediment characteristics. These innovations offer tremendous potential for application in the area of seafloor geological and benthic habitat mapping.
marine ecosystems-particularly in large ecosystems in need of adequate conservation strategies, s... more marine ecosystems-particularly in large ecosystems in need of adequate conservation strategies, such as in Canadian waters-developing approaches to synthesize multiple datasets to meet management needs is warranted.
Dense aggregations of horse mussels exist in the Bay of Fundy and are thought to be associated wi... more Dense aggregations of horse mussels exist in the Bay of Fundy and are thought to be associated with high biodiversity compared to surrounding habitats. Previous research show correlations between these aggregations and long narrow flow-parallel bedforms. In this study, high resolution seafloor photographs were compared to multibeam echosounder data to investigate benthic community and biodiversity patterns across the Bay of Fundy. Biophysical seafloor types (benthoscapes) were mapped with 71% accuracy using Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) with fuzzy c-means classification. Community patterns were found to shift gradually across benthoscapes and mega-epifaunal biodiversity was highest in areas of mixed sediments and silty gravel and anemones. Horse mussels occurred mainly within the sand benthoscape where the flow parallel bedforms exist. Community patterns were also assessed at fine scales (5 m) using a by-eye interpretation of the flow parallel bedforms, where gradational shifts across the bedforms and surrounding areas were evident and abundance of horse mussels were found to be significantly greater on the bedforms. These findings will ultimately facilitate decisions around fisheries management, marine spatial planning, and monitoring of the horse mussel habitats and the surrounding benthoscapes within the Bay of Fundy.
The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES), as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping, has fa... more The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES), as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping, has facilitated integrative approaches towards nautical charting, benthic habitat mapping, and seafloor geotechnical surveys. The combined acoustic response of the seabed and the subsurface can vary with MBES operating frequency. At worst, this can make for difficulties in merging the results from different mapping systems or mapping campaigns. However, at best, having observations of the same seafloor at different acoustic wavelengths allows for increased discriminatory power in seabed classification and characterization efforts. Here, we present the results from trials of a multispectral multibeam system (R2Sonic 2026 MBES, manufactured by R2Sonic, LLC, Austin, TX, USA) in the Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia. In this system, the frequency can be modified on a ping-by-ping basis, which can provide multi-spectral acoustic measurements with a single pass of the survey platform. The surveys were cond...
marine ecosystems-particularly in large ecosystems in need of adequate conservation strategies, s... more marine ecosystems-particularly in large ecosystems in need of adequate conservation strategies, such as in Canadian waters-developing approaches to synthesize multiple datasets to meet management needs is warranted.
The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES) as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping has faci... more The establishment of multibeam echosounders (MBES) as a mainstream tool in ocean mapping has facilitated integrative approaches towards nautical charting, benthic habitat mapping, and seafloor geotechnical surveys. The combined acoustic response of the seabed and the subsurface can vary with MBES operating frequency. At worst, this can make for difficulties in merging results from different mapping systems or mapping campaigns. At best, however, having observations of the same seafloor at different acoustic wavelengths allows for increased discriminatory power in seabed classification and characterization efforts. Here, we present results from early trials of a multispectral multibeam system (R2Sonic 2026 MBES) in the Bedford Basin, Nova Scotia. In this system, the frequency can be modified on a ping-by-ping basis, which can provide multispectral acoustic measurements with a single pass of the survey platform. We demonstrate how this capability provides improved seafloor discrimination at this site based on the different frequency responses and seafloor sediment characteristics. These innovations offer tremendous potential for application in the area of seafloor geological and benthic habitat mapping.
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Papers by Vicki Gazzola