Data Management Plan

This dataset contains a unified GeoTiff with 3x3 meter cell size representing the rugosity of several deep coral priority areas off the Atlantic Coast of Florida, derived from data collected in October 2010. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Branch, in collaboration with NOAA vessel Ron Brown, as well as federal, university, and private sector partners, acquired multibeam bathymetry data off the Atlantic Coast of Florida from 10/28/2010 to 10/31/2010. Data was acquired with a hull-mounted Kongsberg EM 710 multibeam echosounder (70 kHz). It was processed by a NOAA contractor using CARIS HIPS software. Attitude and sound velocity correctors applied to the data. Verified tides were not applied to the data, leaving the depth values referenced to the ellipsoid. The imagery is projected in the UTM Zone 17 north, NAD83 datum. The processed CARIS data was used to generate a CARIS BASE surface based on swath angle. The CARIS Export option "BASE Surface to Image" was then used to create a GeoTiff of the priority areas. Rugosity was derived from this surface using NOAAs Benthic Terrain Modeler extension.

Process Steps:

• 2011-01-01 00:00:00 - For this project, data was collected aboard the LOst Coast Explorer from 10/28/2010 to 10/31/2010. Multibeam data were acquired in .all format with a hull-mounted Kongsberg EM 710 multibeam echosounder (70 kHz). Backscatter snippet collection was enabled. Line spacing for acquisition was three times the water depth, and data was retained out to 60 degrees from nadir. Heave, roll, pitch and heading correctors were collected using an Applanix POS/MV Model 320 V4 inertial measurement unit (IMU) and associated Trimble GPS antennas. Sound velocity profiles were acquired with a Seabird Electronics SeaCat SBE19P CTD profiler and processed using NOAA's Velocwin V8.85 software, then applied directly to the raw data. Positioning was obtained using Trimble Zephyr GPS receivers. (Citation: Raw Multibeam Data)
• 2011-01-01 00:00:00 - Raw .all data were converted and processed using CARIS HIPS and Sips 7.0 software, resulting in a CARIS HDCS format dataset with all correctors applied. Attitude and SWMB data was cleaned of fliers, and SWMB data was reviewed in subset mode by a NOAA contractor. (Citation: HDCS Processed Multibeam Data)
• 2011-01-01 00:00:00 - After being submitted to CCMA by the contractor, CARIS HIPS and Sips 7.0 was used to generate a CARIS BASE surface (similar to a DTM), based on weighted swath angle, from the processed HDCS data. Then CARIS export tool "BASE Surface to Image" was used to export a GeoTiff in NAD83 UTM zone 17N. (Citation: CARIS BASE Surface)
• 2011-01-01 00:00:00 - An ESRI grid of source bathymetry was input into the Rugosity Builder Tool, a component of the ArcGIS Benthic Terrain Modeler (BTM). The BTM tool, a collection of ArcGIS terrain visualization tools developed by the Oregon State University (OSU) Department of Geosciences and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center, calculated the rugosity of that bathymetric grid based on an algorithm developed by Jeff Jenness. A short summary of the process, quoted directly from the BTM's documentation, is as follows: "...rugosity derivation relies, in part, on a neighborhood analysis using a 3 grid cell by 3 grid cell neighborhood. An algorithm is passed through the Raster Map Algebra Operation object within Spatial Analyst that calculates the planar distance between the center point of the center cell and of each of the eight surrounding cells in the neighborhood. Next, using the Pythagorean Theorem, the surface distance is calculated for each planar distance using the difference in elevation between the cells. The result of this function is sixteen separate grid data sets with each cell value equal to this surface distance. The next step in the process is to calculate the area formed by three adjacent sides. The result is eight triangular surface area grids. These grid datasets are combined to obtain a surface area data set for the input bathymetric data set. The final step in the process is to create a data set that represents the ratio of surface area to planar area. This final data set represents rugosity for the study area." More information on the specific algorithms used, and contact points for questions, can be found in the BTM's documentation. Rugosity values near 1 represent flat smooth terrain, while higher values reflect increasing rugosity or terrain roughness. For rugosity grid interpretation, is recommended that the grid be reclassified according to standard deviation divisions. (Citation: mia_bs_3m.tif)