NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR SHALLOW-WATER HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYS

The United States Office of Coast Survey is developing technology for shallow water hydrographic surveys in order to increase the efficiency with which hydrographic data are acquired and to improve the likeliho od that all potential dangers to navigation are detected in the course of a hydrographic survey. Three areas of technology hold the greatest promise for meeting those goals: Airborne Lidar Hydrography (ALH), Sh allow Water Multibeam Sonars (SWMB), and digital side scan sonar, espe cially the Coast Survey's new High Speed, High Resolution Side Scan So nar (HSHRSSS). The Coast Survey expects that all its ALH surveys will be outsourced to private sector contractors, and that its SWMB and sid e scan sonar surveys will be accomplished by both NOAA survey vessels and by private sector contractors. This diversity of sources for surve y data influences the strategy for managing these new technologies.