Data Management Plan

This dataset contains an ESRI Geotiff with 9 meter cell size representing the bathymetry of selected portions of seafloor around Tourmaline Bank in Puerto Rico, derived from data collected in 2008. NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Branch, in collaboration with NOAA vessel Nancy Foster and territory, federal, and private sector partners, acquired multibeam bathymetry data in Puerto Rico from 2/25/08 to 3/8/08. Data was acquired with a hull-mounted Kongsberg Simrad EM 1002 multibeam echosounder (95 kHz) in 2008. It was processed by a NOAA contractor using CARIS HIPS software. Data has all correctors applied (attitude, sound velocity) and has been reduced to mean lower low water (MLLW) using final approved tides and zoning from NOAA COOPS. Data is in UTM zone 19 north, datum NAD83. The processed CARIS data was used to generate a CARIS BASE surface based on swath angle. An ASCII XYZ file was exported from the BASE surface and imported to ESRI ArcMap 9.2 using the 'Convert XYZ to Raster' tool developed by CCMA for this purpose. This was used to produce the final bathymetry geotiff. The project was conducted to meet IHO Order 1 and 2 accuracy standards, dependent on the project area and depth. All users should individually evaluate the suitability of this data according to their own needs and standards.

Process Steps:

• 2008-01-01 00:00:00 - For this project, the Chief Scientist was NOAA/NOS/NCCOS/CCMA's Tim Battista and the Lead Hydrographer was independent contractor Mike Stetcher. Data was collected aboard the NOAA ship Nancy Foster from 2/25/08 to 3/08/08. Multibeam data for 2008 were acquired in .all format with a hull-mounted Kongsberg Simrad 1002 ER multibeam echosounder (95 kHz). Backscatter snippet collection was enabled. Line spacing for acquisition was three times the water depth, and data was retained out to 55 degrees from nadir for areas deeper than 55 meters and 60 degrees from nadir for areas shallower than 55 meters. Heave, roll, pitch and heading correctors were collected using an Applanix POS/MV Model 320 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 Seabird Seaterm software, then applied directly to the raw data. Positioning was obtained using Northstar 941X GPS receivers with differential correctors from U.S. Coast Guard CORS beacon Isabel, Puerto Rico. Data was reduced to Mean Lower-Low Water (MLLW) using final approved tides from NOAA COOPS, based on National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). | Source Produced: Raw Multibeam Data NF-08-04 (Citation: Raw Multibeam Data NF-08-04)
• 2008-01-01 00:00:00 - Raw Simrad data (.all format) were converted and processed using CARIS HIPS v5.4 and v6.0 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. | Source Produced: NF-08-04 HDCS Processed Multibeam Data (Citation: Raw Multibeam Data NF-08-04)
• 2008-01-01 00:00:00 - After being submitted to CCMA by the contractor, CARIS HIPS 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 ASCII" was used to export a comma delimited ASCII XYZ file, with Easting, Northing, and Depth values, using ground position units (NAD83 UTM zone 19N). | Source Produced: NF-08-04 CARIS BASE Surface (Citation: NF-08-04 HDCS Processed Multibeam Data)
• 2008-01-01 00:00:00 - An ASCII XYZ file was exported from the BASE surface and imported to ESRI ArcMap 9.2 using the 'Convert XYZ to Raster' tool developed by CCMA for this purpose. This was used to export the final Bathymetry Geotiff. | Source Produced: NF_tourm_6m.tif (Citation: NF-08-04 CARIS BASE Surface)

Click on link from project page to NCEI archive and download zip file.;