NEW SURVEY-SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE LITTORAL ENVIRONMENT

The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) is embarking upon several n ew survey systems with technology geared to meet the challenges of lit toral data collection. Advanced systems will allow NAVOCEANO to collec t our primary data more efficiently and effectively. Existing data col lection processes will take advantage of developing technology to prod uce more information about the environment being sampled. We will also describe how these new systems and technology will change our traditi onal methods of data collection. This paper describes three survey sys tems and a new technology for multibeam exploitation The survey system s are the Laser Airborne Bathymetry Survey (LABS), Oceanographic Remot ely Controlled Automaton (ORCA), and Towed Oceanographic Survey System (TOSS). LABS is an emerging technology using a laser source, detector s, and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) principles to measure depth s. ORCA is a free-swimming, semisubmersible robotic vehicle equipped w ith a shallow-water multibeam sonar. Future sensors may include an Aco ustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), a sediment classifier, and a si de-scan sonar. TOSS is an integrated, modular survey system that uses fiber-optic technology to allow simultaneous operation of commercial o ff-the-shelf imaging, oceanographic, and navigation sensors. Sensors m ay include high-resolution digital side-scan sonars for acoustic backs catter, digital still cameras, and an ADCP. The fiber-optic telemetry system, with its quantum leap in available bandwidth, provides the cap ability to interface rapidly new sensor systems as they become operati onal.New technology includes exploitation of acoustic backscatter deri ved from existing multibeam bathymetry systems. We are inverting the r aw hydrophone data to produce an acoustic backscatter image. Current u ses include geologic province identification and high-resolution featu re definition. Future investigations will include automated sediment c lassification. NAVOCEANO will use these systems and technology to maxi mize resources for data collection and system exploitation to meet the challenges of the littoral now and in the future. These systems and t echnology are vehicles envisioned to carry us into the 21st century.